They call parking in San Francisco a game of cat and mouse. They forget that with a little ingenuity, Jerry kicked Tom’s ass on the regular.

Last year, San Francisco issued over 2 million parking citations totaling $100 million in revenue for the city. As budgets continue to sag, you can guarantee that police and parking officials are under orders to swoop down upon all infractions like owls to field mice.

Parking expert David LaBua, who estimates he once spent up to 52 hours a week searching for parking, has written a book entitled “Finding the Sweet Spot,” in which he details the myriad ways San Francisco drivers can avoid the scrutinizing eyes of parking enforcement officers.

Some of his favorite tips:

— Check the white zones first because they often don’t have meters.

— Most passenger loading zones are ONLY ENFORCED during business hours, and many yellow commercial loading zones are only in effect until 1 PM.

— Red capped parking meters, which signify six wheel parking spots, are often only in effect for four hours at a time.

— Out of order meter=free parking

— Avoid towing by: remembering that parking restrictions are enforced until 100 feet from the sign, curb your wheel on any street with more than a 3 percent grade (basically, every street in San Francisco), keep wheels within 18 inches of the curb, and remember your front license plate.

We salute LaBua for paving the way in the exploitation of parking loopholeology. Remember, in parking as in life, always read the small print.

Please make sure your comment adheres to our comment policy. If it doesn't, it may be deleted. Repeat violations may cause us to revoke your commenting privileges. No one wants that!