This morning, I exited my apartment building to find the north side of my block (Grove and Clayton) papered with “No Stopping” signs for 5/15/10-5/17/10, 6AM – 10PM. The first thing that came to mind was Bay to Breakers. Were these signs supposed to deter five guys dressed as semi-naked Elvises from peeing on my front stoop? I called the SFPD Park Station to inquire.
A friendly staff member answered and asked me for my address and dates of the posted notice. After a few minutes on hold (I was really hoping for some fun hold music like “Bad Boys” or something similar, but all I got was silence and some static. Oh well.), she came back for the big reveal. Someone has reserved the majority of the north side of our block (and potentially more, but I didn’t ask) for a nearby funeral. Which is odd since we don’t have a funeral home nearby, only St. Ignatius. Maybe someone’s sitting shiva?
Three days worth of street parking, in fact, and on a weekend with Bay to Breakers running just two streets south of us. Life going to be a bitch for anyone with wheels!
Now, I understand getting a parking permit for a one-time visitor, but a block’s worth? In hindsight, I’m especially thankful that I don’t have a car because parking anywhere near the route will be brutal. But my neighbors who have lost someone dear to them, what’s wrong with the covered garage at the nearby Lucky?
What about you, dear readers? Have you ever reserved street parking for a mournful moment or a wildly raucous weekend?