Preffered Parking

[Joe Handley]

Found this on a local Jeep Club's forum

so, i had stopped at the new Whole Foods in Naperville on 75th street today, they had their grand opening today. afterwards had a bite at the new Buffalo Wild Wings near there.

that was when i noticed this lovely sign pictured below. it seems that who ever owns that strip mall had those placed by all the stores, most of which are next to the handicap or closer to the door.

thought it was funny as hell, i mean who is going to save more gas driving around the parking lot rather that parking close? me or some guy driving a foreign hybrid?

i'll be back over there again, the Whole Foods is a monster of a store, for them anyway. and figure i'll need to park in that Preferred Parking spot. besides, who they gonna call, the parking police? not fines posted or "only" either! :busted_cop::chuck-ball:

[Peter Lombardo]

Nothing more than a politically correct sign of the very strange times we live in. We will all have to get used to it. Whats next? A hybrid only lane on the turnpike? A hybrid only lane in the gas station? A hybrid owners only line for tickets to a movie? Or how about a hybrid only lane at your local fast food drive thru, or bank drive thru? Just something else to segregate us even more.

[MrObsessive]

That signs gotta be a joke! Before they dictate who can park what kind of car where, they need to go back to school and learn to spell!

Preferred is spelled the way I just did..........NOT with two F's and one R!

I just hate Political Correctness in any form!

[Eshaver]

Bill, Peter, SO DO I !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ed Shaver

[Modelmartin]

Unwind those undies, guys! It just said "preferred" not "only" and notice that it did not define efficient. A locomotive is the most efficient way of hauling things per pound. Efficiency can be defined many ways. That is more of a bumper sticker message than parking rules.

Andy

[Joe Handley]

Now that I think of it, wonder who it is that writes with a stutter, the sign maker or the property owner.

[Brendan]

I'm in agreement with Andy on this one. There's no definition on there to say what's a fuel efficient vehicle. On top of that they don't even know how to spell.

[Zoom Zoom]

While I love my fuel-efficient sportscar, a sign like that makes me want to park a Suburban there just to PO the smug

[CAL]

I wonder how they'd feel if some parked a Porsche 911 Turbo there. which is one of the MOST efficient cars on the road.

Of course it doesn't have the best fuel mileage, but it has the best fuel management systems and has one of the lowest emissions.

[Harry P.]

That sign might be a joke, but here's something I heard that's apparently for real: There's talk among some politicians to ban drive-thru windows at fast food restaurants. Apparently all that idling by hundreds of customers in the drive-thru line of thousands of fast food joints every single day amounts to some serious waste of fuel. I have no idea if this would ever get off the ground, though. The fast food industry wouldn't like it very much, although if ALL of them couldn't have drive-thrus, at least they'd all be on a level playing field.

Is it PC gone amok or a good idea that would save a couple million gallons of gas per year?

[Zoom Zoom]

That sign might be a joke, but here's something I heard that's apparently for real: There's talk among some politicians to ban drive-thru windows at fast food restaurants. Apparently all that idling by hundreds of customers in the drive-thru line of thousands of fast food joints every single day amounts to some serious waste of fuel. I have no idea if this would ever get off the ground, though. The fast food industry wouldn't like it very much, although if ALL of them couldn't have drive-thrus, at least they'd all be on a level playing field.

Is it PC gone amok or a good idea that would save a couple million gallons of gas per year?

Talk about a stupid idea. People are burning that gas voluntarily; it's not like there's a shortage...

It would also likely put a lot of restaurants out of business. So is that good for our economy? Sheesh...if I'm in a long line, I turn off the engine. It's not rocket science folks...but seems everyone in this country is always after that magic pill. If the gov't is so worried about wasting fuel when the car isn't moving, maybe they can do something about all the traffic signals that aren't timed/computerized to improve traffic flow! Nope, can't do that...pass it along to the citizens...put people and companies out of business...

There are other politicians talking about returning to the double nickel speed limit...talk about a completely idiotic overreaction; the reason it was implemented was because of a serious fuel shortage during the Arab oil embargo. Any politician that implements a new speed limit to "save fuel" should be run out of town...people are already driving slower and driving less...we don't need the gov't making needless laws that are so ridiculous that they encourage people to break them, so that local governments and insurance companies can collect another windfall from people "breaking the law"...makes my blood boil! Gas is expensive, it's not scarce...people say and do really stupid things when times are tough.

[Harry P.]

Talk about a stupid idea. People are burning that gas voluntarily; it's not like there's a shortage...

I don't know about that! The whole point of a drive-thru is SPEED! Nobody sits in a backed-up drive-thru line burning gas "voluntarily".

It does sound, though, like another of those "fixes" to the current high price of gas that wouldn't actually have any impact at all on gas prices. Just typical politicians doing typical politician-like things. All talk-no action.

[Harry P.]

And speaking of "preferred parking"...have you seen those "Reserved for Mothers-to-be" parking spaces?

I can't decide if they're for real or some sort of joke.

[dub]

That sign might be a joke, but here's something I heard that's apparently for real: There's talk among some politicians to ban drive-thru windows at fast food restaurants. Apparently all that idling by hundreds of customers in the drive-thru line of thousands of fast food joints every single day amounts to some serious waste of fuel. I have no idea if this would ever get off the ground, though. The fast food industry wouldn't like it very much, although if ALL of them couldn't have drive-thrus, at least they'd all be on a level playing field.

Is it PC gone amok or a good idea that would save a couple million gallons of gas per year?

Another flaw in that logic would dictate toll booths be removed too. I would venture to guess there is just as much idling happening on our government owned toll roads with non EZ pass users. (...of course, therein lies the answer. )

Actually what may happen (in the case of a shortage), is cars may be required to have an idle-cutout system. What that is is a flywheel assembly that will keep rotating while the car is stopped to allow the engine to be shut off. When it's time to move the flywheel engages the crank and the engine starts instantly. VW had a system in production-ready mode in the 80s in case another fuel crisis like the 70s were to happen again. I wonder if they moth-balled it or if it is still an active program.....

Edited July 17, 2008 by dub

[Harry P.]

Actually what may happen (in the case of a shortage), is cars may be required to have an idle-cutout system.

Some cars have that already. I wouldn't be at all surprised if a system like that was made mandatory for all cars sometime soon.

[dub]

Some cars have that already. I wouldn't be at all surprised if a system like that was made mandatory for all cars sometime soon.

Duh, I forgot about the Prius.

Shame on me...

[James W]

Talk about a stupid idea. People are burning that gas voluntarily; it's not like there's a shortage...

Did you hear Pres. Bush this week? Some reporter asked him why he wasn't telling people to conserve and he told them that people were figuring that out on thier own, according to their own means.

That is my kind of representative. He dose not assume people are stupid like this reporter obviously dose.

As for reinstating the 55 law, there is a reason it got repealed, it was a dumb idea in the 70's and it makes no sense now.

Edited July 17, 2008 by James W

[James W]

And speaking of "preferred parking"...have you seen those "Reserved for Mothers-to-be" parking spaces?

I can't decide if they're for real or some sort of joke.

What about families with young kids? What about people who have heavy stuff to carry? What about people who just are having a bad day?

Shoot, why can't we ALL get the closest spot to the store?

It always burns me to see 10 empty cripple spots in front of a store because of some arbitrary law on the books to calculate how many there should be.

[gasman]

I wonder what would count as a fuel efficient vehicle. like if my 28 MPG Ford Ranger pickup be allowed to park there.

[Zoom Zoom]

Did you hear Pres. Bush this week?

Unfortunately I have to hear him every week...it's often rather painful

I'll certainly agree with his statement about this subject, though...since I'm not dumb enough to side with just one political party on important issues

[Zoom Zoom]

What about families with young kids? What about people who have heavy stuff to carry? What about people who just are having a bad day?

Shoot, why can't we ALL get the closest spot to the store?

It always burns me to see 10 empty cripple spots in front of a store because of some arbitrary law on the books to calculate how many there should be.

I rather liked those old Nissan ads with the "No Parking Except For Bob" signs

Works for me

Edited July 18, 2008 by Zoom Zoom

[lordairgtar]

I guess I can park there then. My car is quite fuel efficient. Over 30 mpg. I've had cars that were very efficient in burning gas up quickly. Harry, those drive thru bans must have been the ones they were talking about in the Democratic Peoples Republic Of Madison. Some politician bandied that one about but nothings going to come of it.

[Jello]

How about one this one, "Parking for Idiots only"? How much y'all want to bet that space stays empty for long? LOL..

~ Jeff

[Joe Handley]

That sign might be a joke, but here's something I heard that's apparently for real: There's talk among some politicians to ban drive-thru windows at fast food restaurants. Apparently all that idling by hundreds of customers in the drive-thru line of thousands of fast food joints every single day amounts to some serious waste of fuel. I have no idea if this would ever get off the ground, though. The fast food industry wouldn't like it very much, although if ALL of them couldn't have drive-thrus, at least they'd all be on a level playing field.

Is it PC gone amok or a good idea that would save a couple million gallons of gas per year?

Wouldn't that mean the return of Drive In's then?

I've started to park the Jeep and go into the places, I can drive in, park, walk in, order and receive my food, then walk back out to the Jeep and leave in less time than it takes to go through the drive up most of the time! I've thought about it some and it wouldn't really take much to make drive throughs more efficient, put the lanes on just enough of a downward incline towards the pickup windows so all you would have to do is coast down hill, preferably with the engine off and the trans in neutral. Of course some idiot would find a way to screw it up and kill someone And yes I was sober while typing that

I guess I can park there then. My car is quite fuel efficient. Over 30 mpg. I've had cars that were very efficient in burning gas up quickly. Harry, those drive thru bans must have been the ones they were talking about in the Democratic Peoples Republic Of Madison. Some politician bandied that one about but nothings going to come of it.

In some ways my Cherokee Limited with the 4.0l I-6 or my parents '06 Town and Country Touring with 3.8l V-6 and power side doors and hatch could be the same as that or a Ranger, Dad got around 23-25mpg on the interstate when he and Mom borrowed if for a mid winter get away a couple years back and on the interstate the T&C can pull that same mileage with 3 overweight adults and their luggage at 65+ MPH!

Something else too, and yes I'm still sober as I type this too , is maybe roll back some of the emissions and safety standards that seem to add weight and/or reduce efficiency over what was produced a little as 10 years ago.

Edited July 18, 2008 by Joe Handley

[rollinoldskoo]

I don't know about that! The whole point of a drive-thru is SPEED! Nobody sits in a backed-up drive-thru line burning gas "voluntarily".

It does sound, though, like another of those "fixes" to the current high price of gas that wouldn't actually have any impact at all on gas prices. Just typical politicians doing typical politician-like things. All talk-no action.

i drive a 95 chevy suburban.... 3/4 ton.... 454 motor... and 4 wheel drive.... i turn off my motor in long dirve thru lines, walk in, or drive past....

what gets me is a full to the max parking lot... except the compact stalls.... they should tag the small cars for not using them