Logan, UT, is attempting to clean up its parkways. The city is “clamping down” on people who park in what they call “park Strips”, or the area between the sidewalk and the streets. I’m rather stunned. I know I live in LA LA land, but why is this even up for discussion. There is a law, even in Logan, that says you can’t park your car on the front lawn, or on the parkway. Why is it so difficult for the enforcement folks to simply ticket these cars, and when they aren’t moved, simply tow them? I know it may be a tad of an issue if the cars are on their lawns, private property, and I’ll get to that in a moment, but when they are in the parkway, they are on city property. It’s the same as leaving a car parked on the street and abandoning it. The city has every right to tow it.
Now, what about those on lawns…Well, the city has the right to come in and mow your lawn, or clear brush if it becomes a hazard or take your dog when it is abused or barks too much. From my point of view, parking cars on parkways or lawns is right up there with brush and barking dogs. I don’t want to look at it. They should have the right to come and enforce the law. If you want to live where you can park on your lawn, move to the desert (whoops, maybe Logan is the desert).
The apartment owners are worried that students who park on the parkways and rent from them will go somewhere else if they can’t find a place to park. Well, gol darn it, let them walk a few blocks to a parking lot and pay for the right to park their car. This all goes back to my mantra. If they charged for on street parking and enforced the parking rules, there would be plenty of room for people who live in the area to park on the streets. Around apartments, if payment was required, the renters would either rent places that included parking, or make arrangements to park in lots nearby, or sell their cars. Tell me where it’s the city’s responsibility to provide free parking for people who live there?
JVH
