Re: Chase Lot, Get Over Yourself
OK, so I forgot about this Mr. Huddleston playing hard ball thing until I was in the middle of parking hell earlier today. I paid the ten bucks for going over the magic hour mark but wanted to talk to someone about the outrageous fee.
I asked the parking lot guy for the number of the lot manager. He gave me the number of the towing service used by the lot. He said he didn’t know of anyone else to call. I tried to help him brainstorm by throwing out questions like, do you have a boss, who hired you etc. After coming up with one number that had been disconnected I finally got Trip.
Trip is the manager and just follows the rules set up by someone else. He doesn’t know the someone else. Here’s how the conversation went down:
Merritt: So, you just get your instructions from a Charlie type, and you’re the Bosley character?
Trip: Yes.
Merritt: You have no idea who to call if you have a question about the lot?
Trip: No
Merritt: Well, who pays you? Maybe they know.
Trip: Rusty but I’ll have to get his number.
Developing.
If only there were some way to avoid that “outrageous fee”…. Oh, wait, you could just not park in his lot.
Since the city and the other business owners — Kuby’s included, I assume — prevented him from improving the lot because they want their customers to be able to park there, it’s perfectly reasonably for him to charge for it. How much should he charge? As much as the market will bear — that’s the American way. You’re still parking there, and there’s no better illustration that $10 is a reasonable amount to pay for the privilege. If it were really unreasonable, you would find someplace else to park, or decide that there’s no reasonable parking available and go somewhere else for your coffee.
Exactly. The first hour is free, then it’s freaking $10 if you go over that. $10…big deal. If you can’t afford it, find a Starbucks (yuck). Extra good day for you if you can find one that doesn’t have any semi-new adorable baristas.
Oh, and I assume that Kuby’s is paying for your first hour. Blame Kuby’s for not ponying up for their customers to park for 2 hours or all day for free. I’m sure they very much prefer to turn the tables every hour.
(Captch: entitled Service)
Wow, sure looks like some folks lost their sense of humor and like attacking Merritt.
mec, I don’t think those are attacks on Merritt. They bring up some pretty good economic points. I’m still baffled by the folks who were against the Chase Bank redevelopment because “traffic might increase” if the redevelopment were successful. So basically they want failures in that spot and probably all of Snider Plaza, too. Where were these same protesters when Chick-Fil-A remodeled the old Zuzu space?
Yet again people aren’t paying attention and have no sense of humor or, even more disturbing, no sense of perspective. Merritt said she paid the $10 which I’m sure she is quite familiar with. She simply said she wanted to talk with someone regarding how they came up with that number. The point of this story isn’t the $10. Matt and Logan should consider retake the reading comprehention portion of the TAKS test. She is pointing out how stupid our society is in that parking lot attendants can’t even tell you who they work for. That is ridiculous and what I believe she is pointing out here.
Ok…first, learn how to spell comprehension. Next, when i think of my scores on the ACT and SAT tests, i find your suggestion laughable. Yes, i realize that the parking lot attendant is either a very evasive individual or an ***** for not being willing or able to point Merritt in the appropriate direction. Maybe that is the main point of her post, but the main point of mine is that i do not think the parking lot’s policy is all that egregious…Merritt obviously does as we’ve been alerted to this situation more than once. For people who do find the policy ridiculous, ok…fine…you can voice your opinion. I’m voicing mine. But since i am not allowed to comment on anything from her postings other than the MAIN point (and ONLY the main point), like i said, we can all agree the parking lot attendant isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.
Isn’t capitalism great? God Bless America. I think Mr. Huddleston has the right to charge whatever he wants for parking. I think he has been fair by allowing the first hour free. I especially like the thought that maybe all the money he makes from that lot goes directly to the fund that he uses to donate to GOP causes (he exercises his first amendment rights by donating to Republican causes). But here is my “but”….it should be a city statute that all fee-based parking lots in UP should have a sign stating ownership and a phone number for general information and complaints. It should be prominently displayed and lot attendants should be trained to point to it when necessary.
I think James’ suggestion about requiring the posting of ownership information is an excellent one. After all, you are entrusting your car to them for a certain period of time, thus creating, if my brain can recall a creaky memory from law school, a bailment situation. It’s only fair that you know with whom you’re doing business.
And, hey people, stop picking on Merritt.
Oh great defenders of Merritt if Merritt can’t take the heat she can always leave the kitchen. Remember how often she criticizes others.
Merritt takes the heat just fine, thank you, although she may “leave the kitchen” to Kuby’s and Starbucks. She no doubt enjoys the fact that when detractors visit and add disparaging comments to her posts, they just document her popularity as a blogger.