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Find SF parking cops

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Re: Find SF parking cops

#231

Post by Aloisius »

hedora wrote: post #89
aidenn0 wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it illegal to block bike lanes in SF? I ask because it is not illegal to do so in California, according to the learner's permit test my daughter recently took.

I read the driver’s manual a few years ago. Fun fact: If there’s a bus or trolley car picking up passengers at the curb, you must pass it on the right in CA. I’m almost tempted to try it when there’s no one but a cop around, and then hand the book to them when they pull me over for driving on the sidewalk.

I think you might have misinterpreted that rule?

It is for light rail/trolleys (not buses) and only when you're on a two-way road and there's room to pass on the right. It also applies when they're moving, not just when they're stopped.

Basically, if a trolley/light rail has tracks in one of the left lanes of a two-way road, you must pass on the right unless directed otherwise by a traffic cop.

The reason is that these vehicles obstruct vision and you're not allowed to overtake and pass on the left when you can't see oncoming traffic or when approaching an intersection/grade/curve/oncoming traffic or your view of a bridge/viaduct/tunnel within 100 feet is obstructed.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/handbook/california-driver-han...

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySectio....

Re: Find SF parking cops

#232

Post by Alive-in-2025 »

thatguymike wrote: post #176

This is great. Watch them take the data down in 3, 2, 1... Until then I'd love to see trails of where the traffic enforcers have been on the main map, it would make the map more engaging.

Excellent idea. Data trails would really show you have are walking their beat. So the obvious next step is randomizing the IDs of the ticket writers.

Re: Find SF parking cops

#233

Post by cellis »

davmre wrote: post #221
appreciatorBus wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just charge market rates for land. Overstaying (aka overconsumption) is mostly just a predictable consequence of selling something valuable at far below what its value.

Even if you charge $10/hr, or whatever the market rate would be for street parking spots, you still need an enforcement mechanism to prevent people overstaying. In general, the idea of a "market rate" for any given property depends fundamentally on a system of property rights actually being enforced.

Market rate is $4.10 per hour during peak hours. But it falls off precipitously per hour and ceases to be enforced around 6pm. For overstays those little white golf cart trucks have cameras that check license plates for permits. I recently got a parking permit for $200 or so after paying like $500 in tickets for various infractions including “Parking on Grades, wheels straight”. So I very much want anyone overstaying a 2hr parking spot to get tickets and or towed to make room. And I can speak from experience having just recently being towed, that the parking downtown is ruthlessly enforced. It will cost you about $700 if you’re towed.

Re: Find SF parking cops

#234

Post by runjake »

Zigurd wrote: post #217
ThePowerOfFuet wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then someone will know where your car is at all times, and probably who you are... and that is monetizable (not from you).

Google maps is free to use so obviously I'm the product Google sells. I'd say I'm getting a fair deal letting "them" track my location. (Why does nobody ever complain about them insisting on gender neutral pronouns? They must be very powerful.)

Often times, even if you pay, you're still the product a company sells.

Re: Find SF parking cops

#235

Post by uyzstvqs »

giarc wrote: post #223

Officer 0438 appears to have begun his shift in Guadalajara https://imgur.com/a/u4hg8DS

Appears to have been given on 3 El Dorado South, San Francisco. The map marker shows a street called Avenida South San Francisco, Mexico, in front of a bar called El Dorado.

Re: Find SF parking cops

#236

Post by woah »

truncate wrote: post #215
jonny_eh wrote: post #95

Probably a good time to tell people that SF operates a "Text Before Tow Program" where you can get a warning that you're about to get towed: https://www.sfmta.com/text-tow-program

>> A tow truck will be dispatched in conjunction with the text message notification and could be there in as few as five minutes. If only they operate in good faith, and that is something I'd highly doubt given its SFMTA. As in they could call tow truck ahead of time, so that its almost unlikely the person will be able to get to their car in time.

Why should roads, walkways, and construction sites be blocked just to let someone have more time to avoid a ticket? I imagine the text goes out from SF's servers simultaneously with the tow truck summons. It's a fair shot for both.

Re: Find SF parking cops

#237

Post by karlgkk »

ihaveajob wrote: post #201
jonny_eh wrote: post #95

Probably a good time to tell people that SF operates a "Text Before Tow Program" where you can get a warning that you're about to get towed: https://www.sfmta.com/text-tow-program

This is fantastic. It really signals that the point is not to get money from you, but to free up the parking spot.

I’ve long believed that “first one free” would be a great way to help reduce the impact of tickets on people while still achieving the same goal

Re: Find SF parking cops

#238

Post by godelski »

thaumasiotes wrote: post #229
ihaveajob wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is fantastic. It really signals that the point is not to get money from you, but to free up the parking spot.

They also ticket without towing, where the point is entirely to get money from you.

Or to say "don't do this"

Re: Find SF parking cops

#240

Post by throwaway93626 »

_2d30 wrote: post #212
throwaway93626 wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd guess the top spots are just super wealthy people who figure that at their "hourly rate", paying for parking is basically more costly than just eating the tickets. Like if someone's time is worth $10k+/hour, the parking tickets are basically just premium parking fees that are still "cheaper" than spending even a minute dealing with payment... Let your assistant pay whatever tickets you get in the mail instead.

They are definitely people who live in their cars and don’t pay the tickets. EDIT: did a search to see if anyone had analyzed this and here’s reporting that shows basically this. None of the top cars are remotely luxury, eg. https://sfstandard.com/2024/04/15/parking-tickets-san-franci...

Good point. I wonder if it might be a bimodal distribution - peaks for the super poor and the super wealthy. Of course, there are more poor than wealthy, so maybe you'd need to look at the rate per capita for different income brackets.
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