"Customers Only" says the sign, here's one way to misinterpret it

[Argabarga]

-Why did you tow my car from the dry cleaners?

-It's customer parking only sir, and they were closed. Once they close no one can use that lot.

-I AM thier customer!

-You were towed at 9:12pm sir, they closed back at 6pm

-So?

-So it's not possible for you to be a customer when they're closed

-Bullshit! I take my laundry to them all the time, I've been using them for 30
years! I am thier customer, I use them all the time!

-Maybe so sir, but you can't park in that lot when they close, it's private property

-The signs don't say that! They just say "customers only"! This is one heck of a racket your running! I hope you like getting sued because I'm calling my lawyer in the morning, this is the most rediculous thing I've ever heard!

Well, hope he enjoys tangling with the company's Martian Death Ray Lawyer (tm), it ought to be fun and expensive for him.

[jackfaire]

Uhm okay wow can the judge throw mandatory English classes at him? Seriously dude Patron, Customer, Shopper these titles only apply when you are engaged in said activites

[NateTheChops]

The towing company down the road from the Rank Aid I worked at made quite a killing off of us by towing idiots who kept parking either in employee only parking, parking there all night, or parking in the way of the inventory truck.

Of course our spineless district manager actually agreed to pay back one guy who had to pay to have his car released.

[Broomjockey]

-So it's not possible for you to be a customer when they're closed

Ya know, that's a new one on me, parking-wise. I'd always figured after a place closed, they stopped caring who parking in their lot, so it was okay, so long as you were gone by opening

[Peppergirl]

Ya know, that's a new one on me, parking-wise. I'd always figured after a place closed, they stopped caring who parking in their lot, so it was okay, so long as you were gone by opening

I'm so glad you said that, I was thinking the same thing but was afraid to ask.

I truly wonder what difference it would make to the owner if they're closed.

Regardless, the guy got what he deserved because he acted like an asshole and threw out the 'gonna sue' card, but I am genuinely curious too.

[Andara Bledin]

Well, hope he enjoys tangling with the company's Martian Death Ray Lawyer (tm), it ought to be fun and expensive for him.

It likely won't cost him more than the consultation with his lawyer, since it's likely nobody will take the case for him because it's stupid.

I agree that it seems a bit counter-intuitive that a "customer only" parking area should become totally off-limits when the business is not currently operating. *shrug*

^-.-^

[Red_Dazes]

I truly wonder what difference it would make to the owner if they're closed.

...I always kind of wondered the same thing... but I think it comes down to "I Payed to rent this space! Or I spent Money to OWN this space! No one can use it unless they are using my business..."

...or something like that.

[Crossbow]

I truly wonder what difference it would make to the owner if they're closed.

Liability, I'm afraid. His insurance likely wouldn't cover anything happening to the car if the owner of said car wasn't actively engaged in doing business with the property owner at the time. Some places are ok with people using a parking lot when they're not open, others aren't.

[protege]

I agree that it seems a bit counter-intuitive that a "customer only" parking area should become totally off-limits when the business is not currently operating. *shrug*

Maybe the owner doesn't want cars there...simply because he doesn't want the owners to threaten lawsuits...if something happens to said cars. Or, maybe the shop doesn't have a "delivery" door in the back, and the trucks show up in front after-hours. Rare, but some small shops are like that.

[blas]

That's exactly what I was going to say, liability.

Although I do remember at the gas station, since we weren't 24/7 and closed relatively early at night, there was a time or two or three where someone wanted to park their car overnight (well once a drunken fool locked his keys in his car and didn't have a choice, and it was pretty much he get some other way home and come back tomorrow or I'd call the cops on him if he tried to get back in and drive off).

My manager and the owner really didn't have a problem with people parking overnight as long as they came back to get their car as early as possible the next day.

I think a lot of it was people ended up making last minute plans to go to one of the many bars in that part of town, and they didn't want to drive but had nowhere to leave their car and couldn't leave it in the bar parking lot all night. Hell, to me it was better than them driving drunk.

Heck, I've done that myself. I've driven to the bar with friends, ended up having one too many, gotten a ride or cab home, and ended up just hoping and praying the next day that my car was still in the parking lot and not towed.

[tropicsgoddess]

If that SC does go good on his little threat, he'll get his ass handed to him with the quickness. Which I would LOVE to see!

[depechemodefan]

I take my laundry to them all the time, I've been using them for 30
years!

I bet 10 years ago that piece of land where the dry cleaners is now was a dairy farm.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

At Kinko's, we actually put up signs all over the place that said "Parking is for Kinko's customers while they are in the store."

People thought that they'd just come down every morning, make a seven-cent copy, and that entitled them to leave their car in our lot until the sun went down. I gues that probably is cheaper than buying a university parking permit. Well, at least until you end up having to pay to get your ride out of the city impound a couple times. Then it starts to get a mite dear.

[Argabarga]

THe reason is that there is only maybe 10 spots in that lot, and, liability aside, if they let people park there who weren't doing buisiness directly , it wouldn't be long before the lot was so jammed full of people that customers and employees alike would have nowhere to park. Once word gets out about "free parking" everyone and thier cousin will come running and start abusing it.

We also tow out of there during regular hours for people who park and then walk down the street to a bar or something if the ownership calls us. It's just easier to enforce at night as anything at all that shows up clearly can go.

I always thought customer parking was a simple concept, if you aren't in the store, you aren't a customer.

ANyway, it's private property, if they say they don't want you there, you can't be there.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

ANyway, it's private property, if they say they don't want you there, you can't be there.

Around here, there's a common misconception that a shopping center parking lot is PUBLIC property and therefore they're entitled to do whatever they want.

Needless to say, there's a lot of public ignorance on the difference between PUBLIC and PRIVATE.