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Parking Quiz Answer! Getting Around Construction Signs

Photo by David LaBua

Just before lunch on this beautiful day, we asked you to decode a confusing construction zone sign––the type you see around town next to many parking spots. So, are they available or not? Here's how to tell:

Can you park in front of this sign?
 

A) No way.  That’s why it’s all like orange and red.
 
B) Totally, if there isn’t any construction going on it means that it’s okay.
 
C) I’m not sure, it’s one of those construction zone thingies and I don’t 
know what all the rules are with those things.  I don’t want to get towed.
 
D) Yes, but only if it is not within the enforceable dates and/or times posted.
 
E) None of the above all of the time.
 
F) All of the above some of the time.

 

Answer:  F) All of the above some of the time.

“No Parking” signs attached to construction saw horses or parking meters can be beacons of hope when looking for a place to park. They are used for construction, moving trucks, festivals and even sometimes for scheduled large home deliveries. These signs are one of my absolute favorite places to park.  Most people immediately dismiss and drive right by them, but I drive straight for them. Don’t assume that because a sign exists, it means you can’t park there.

These signs must be put in place three days before their enforcement is valid. And, they are also often negligently left behind after the job is finished, sometimes for weeks. Pull up to the spot, and read the posted days and times on the paper sign. Also, read the fine print. The conscious and considerate construction companies will add a small line of text stating, “If work has not begun by noon, parking is allowed”

Be careful though, if the spot is vacant, it doesn't always mean it is available.  It could mean that a dump truck, or a truck delivering a Wurlitzer organ, is just around the corner and about to park in its reserved space. If you are in the spot, you will be ticketed and towed in a heartbeat. I was looking for a spot near my destination on March 10th when I saw the sign posted above.  I drove straight for it, and read the dates and times. Free parking once again in under 30 seconds!

For more SF parking tips, tricks, and secrets click here

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This page is very inadequate as to the info in provides re:construction zone signs. Most of the signs are illegal per lack of required info on the signs. The applicable laws are easily accessible on the web (but not on this site)

-- The Parking Vigilante

Thanks for this interesting post. This quiz was really interesting & helpful to learn about Parking Signs.

Hi,

I thought I'd make a comment to clear up some questions people had in the comments below.

Anonymous #1: Yes D is correct, but sometimes A,B, are also correct. And, as evidenced by the comment by Dixie, C is also correct and a predominant attitude taken by most drivers. Regarding your question, "...is parking always permitted if no construction has begun by noon, or only when the sign states that detail?" No, definitely not. The sign has to specifically state an exception such as parking is okay after noon if nobody is there. This should never be assumed. PG&E almost always writes the exception that if they haven't started by noon, you can park there. Here is a tip though...if it's a neighborhood job, get to know the construction workers, and often they will let you know if they are taking a few days off, or if they won't need the space for a day. Show your appreciation with some beer, coffee, extra Giants tickets, etc. and this could then be a golden situation for you for months.

Anonymous #2: I appreciate your position and sentiments, but I'm not so sure that this info made the pool that much more crowded. I find that a good number of drivers take the position that Dixie (above) takes, and this leaves parking spots like construction zones wide open. Since I’ve shared so much parking info with so many people, I truly find parking in SF even easier, and definitely not stressful.

When I first decided to write the book, and subsequently write a tips page on my website and send out a free tip of the month, and write for 7x7, I considered possible negative consequences of sharing just how easy it is to find parking and never get a ticket. But, I’ve always lived life from the point of the abundance theory. Which to me means that the universe is ridiculously bountiful and fruitful, and when our actions come from a place of love, sharing, compassion, and kindness, we put a positive energy into the world that mainifests and multiplies those feelings in a very real way. Helping others succeed actually results in success for us. When we cling irrevocably to the things that are precious to us and rare, we label them as scarce. Holding tightly doesn’t create any more of those things. In fact, clinging ever so tightly and viewing things from a perspective of scarcity (fear that they will go away) can make us feel like we have much less...and can make them go away.

As a test of the theory Dear Anonymous #2, I suggest that you go to Book Passage, or Green Apple, and flip through my book and see if there is a secret or two that you haven’t heard of….and then perhaps you will begin to see parking from the incredibly abundant point of view that I do.

Thanks for writing! Feel free to send me an email if you ever have a question about parking. David@findingthesweetspot.com

Sincerely,

David

Thanks for all the info, Dave! But the details seem to support D) as the correct answer, not F). Only B) is sometimes true, but it is covered under D) when the sign is detailed enough. Along those lines, is parking always permitted if no construction has begun by noon, or only when the sign states that detail?

This is all fine, until you run across the literal cop....you know, the one who used all of his day's metal energy to button his shirt.

It's not worth going to court over. Avoid the signs...you're asking for trouble

Good Job Dave -
I had always relied upon this tidbit to find parking - revealing these little "secrets" just made the pool that much more crowded. Oh well, on to the next "secret."

i always enjoy these quizzes and bits of information . . . i especially enjoy how LaBua makes you realize that parking is an expression of personal creativity . . . and that extends to many life skills, doesn't it ?