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Give me a Sign! (Never Mind. Just fix the ones we have)Personality: Oh, what people put on, do to or do in their cars!
The images shown here are original, unaltered photographs taken in generally public places. All comments are strictly the personal opinion of the photographer. No photographs or comments are misleading, or known to be false. There was this big baseball game in New York the evening I wanted to have a burger and a beer in Boston. I couldn't find a nearby parking space, due to these signs. What is it that all these people know about parking enforcement in Boston that I don't?
Click to view QuickTime Video"Newbury Street Slalom Course" -- Notice that the car parked in a legal spot gets a ticket for being there beyond the alotted time, but cars frequently blocking entire lanes of this heavy-traffic road don't seem to draw the same attention from meter readers.
Harvard Ave., Allston (Boston), MA -2004-08-20Can you say "Doubleparkedanddrivingfacingthewrongdirection?"
I just love to watch traffic on this road squeeze between double-parked trucks on both sides.
Harvard Ave., Allston (Boston), MA -2004-08-20
Harvard Ave., Allston (Boston), MA -2004-09-13It's very difficult to stay on your side of the yellow lines sometimes. Worse still, other vehicles, having crossed the line, come barrelling toward you, and assume you're the one that has to make way. Wrong-O!
Harvard Ave., Allston (Boston), MA -2004-08-27Pure genius!
Faulkner Hospital, Boston, MA -2004-11-02Blind... stupid... or both?
Pearl St., Newton Corner (Newton), MA -2005-03-23What IS this truck trailer doing parked in my lane?
If someone leaves a backpack in a bus station, people will freak.
What if someone left a whole trailer unattended in YOUR neighborhood?
Brighton Ave., Allston (Boston), MA - 2004-09-24"Okay, George: Pay attention. Here are the plans for the renovation. We're going to tear out this wall here... install cabinets there... move some furniture around... replace the refrigerator... install a dishwasher... Gosh, I wish we had a real conference room."
Commonwealth Ave., Brighton (Boston), MA - 2005-03-16I have often said that the warning on plastic milk crates, "penalty for misuse" is moot because you can use them for anything."
I was wrong. You can misuse them.
Believe it orr not, this car was up on three milk crates and had at least three wheels missing. I'm not sure if this was a crime, a prank, or just resourcefulness.
CVS Pharmacy, Watertown Square, Watertown, MA -2005-01-05Why... how... is this taxi parked here?
Microcenter, Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA -2005-01-29Four cars triple-parked next to these legal spaces. Go ahead... just make your own spots. We'll just drive around you just fine.
CVS Pharmacy, Watertown Square, Watertown, MA -2005-02-22I'm running out of words to describe this inconsiderate behavior.
Lincoln St., Allston, MA -2005-04-07No excuse whatsoever for parking this truck so far from the curb that there's no room for even a car to pass.
Yet this is way too common practice.
Watertown Mall, Watertown, MA -2005-05-31WE HAVE A WINNER!
Cambridgeside Galleria Mall, Cambridge, MA -2005-03-25Once one person does it, you know the rest will...
After this second car triple-parked, there was almost not enough room for me to get out of my spot across the aisle.
River Street shopping plaza, Waltham, MA - 2005-3-10Like there aren't enough clues to indicate this is not a place to park your toy.
Brighton Ave., Allston (Boston), MA -2004-11-05Is there a reason why this sign is still here... after FIVE YEARS?
Prudential Center Parking Garage, Boston, MA - 2001-12-09I gave these folks a real piece of my mind back in 2001 when they tried to charge me more than I expected to pay for parking here. There are no parking rate signs at the entrance to the garage. I asked the security agent at the entrance what the rates were, and was given an entirely different amount than the higher rate they tried to charge me at the exit.
PLEASE PUT SIGNS AT (OR BEFORE) THE ENTRANCE TO YOUR GARAGE!!! A customer shouldn't need to go all the way down the one-way entrance tunnel to find out, either.
Shaws Supermarket (formerly Star Market), Commonwealth Ave., Allston, MA - 2003-07-11Why even bother painting arrows that are going to cause an accident???
Boston area - 2003-05-09Can you believe this person 'parked' the car sticking out into traffic like this?
Fresh Pond area, Cambridge, MA - 2001-08-13
Malden, MA - 2001-09-06What is it about drug stores that inspires such ignorant parking?
South End neighborhood, Boston, MA - 2002-08-31No parking spots? No problem! (How is this POSSIBLE?!?)
JFK St., Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA - 1998-10-07There's always plenty of cars PARKED here in this NO STOPPING zone. Why?
What's even stranger is that the Cambridge Police are constantly haunting this corner to pull over stop sign violators (this is a terrible intersection. Two one-way streets cross, but only one has a stop sign. There should at least be a stop sign for both, if not an actual traffic signal light!)
Central Square, Cambridge, MA - 2004-10-16How many "No Parking" signs are necessary to keep people like this from parking there?
Double-parked SUV. Church St., Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA - 2002-05-07Bravo, mystery citizen!
I see I'm not the only one that leaves neon orange messages for owners of poorly parked cars. But this sticker affixed to the window is phenomenal artwork. Nice job. But what about the date & time? Not important, I would think.
Rear View Mirror Tag Disabled Person Parking Permit, Nashville, TN - 2002-09-04
- If it's "Permanent," why does it expire?
- Why is the expiration date above the number, but the legend "Permit No." above the date instead? (Picky, picky... I know)
Parking Garage, Vanderbilt Hospital, Nashville, TN - 2002-09-02Rule of thumb:
If your car looks and/or handles more like a boat, it isn't a compact.
(True, however, the 'compact only' parking spots in this garage seemed to be just as spacious as those that were not restricted.)
Wayne Alarm Systems Van, Belmont St., Belmont, MA - 2002-04-30Hey, Wayne... how far onto the sidewalk can you get your van? Did you realize that there's not enough room for a bicycle or wheel chair to get around you? Did you notice that pedestrians now must walk through the mud to get around your van?
Newbury St., Boston, MA - 2002-03-29Unless you got flashing lights on it... Park it, baby!
Reedsdale St., Allston, MA - 2002-03-06Conflicting indications: Yellow ("no parking") curb, but with a 2-hour parking permitted sign. Which to believe???
Boston University Parking Lot, 775 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA - 2001-11-04YOU figure it out. I couldn't be certain if I could park here or not, even when someone else there said I could. There was no attendant there on the Sunday I tried.
Harvard Ave., Allston, MA - 2001-08-28File this under "Unclear on the Concept."
"You are the missing link... Goodbye!"
Brighton Ave., Allston (Boston), MA -2004-10-07Yes, of course I did know there were the World Series baseball games going on that week. How could one not know?
However, not only was this sign nowhere near the baseball field, Fenway Park, but the game was not even being played in Boston.
And at what time? The sign doesn't say that.
I'm told that these signs were placed here to prevent cars from being overturned by roudy fans, should the Red Sox win.
Wow.
...and what would happen if they lost?
Galen St., Watertown, MA - 2001-06-18Aaaaaarrrrgh! -- What the hell is this supposed to mean? These are clearly parking spaces, so why is there a "No Parking" sign pointing toward them?!?
Shaw's Supermarket (Formerly Star Market), Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge, MA - 2000-11-14This parking lot is incredibly botched. For starters, there are contradictory traffic arrows that direct vehicles toward each other. This sign also directs traffic to the right of the island, while the arrows direct traffic to either side.
There are two exits next to each other with their own problems. Although clearly marked "do not enter" on the other side, motorists continue to enter through one of these two exits. The real entrance is around the corner. Furthermore, for some reason, motorists continue to make left turns onto the main street from the right side of this exit, and right turns from the left side of this exit.
Sure, more signs might not help, but still the traffic patterns and markings here could be improved. This would decrease confusion and reduce the 'anarchy' caused by motorists interpreting vague directions incorrectly or ignoring them altogether.
![]() Central Parking's Kinney System Parking Lot, Malden Center - 2000-01-20 |
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![]() Boston - 1999-02-24 ![]() Boston - 1999-02-19 ![]() Manhattan, NYC - 1999-04-14 |
It figures that what should be an international standard isn't even agreed upon in one city. I'll add more example photos, but the point here is that those signs atop taxis from city to city or company to company aren't consistent, or even used. It's simple: If the light is on, the taxi should be for hire. If it's not on, the person on the street should be able to tell it's off duty. You can tell there's a taxi heading toward you long before you can tell if there's anyone in the back seat, and save yourself some goofy waving around for nothing. But usually these signs aren't even used. Other times, the signs are diametrically different. That is, sometimes the sign says "Off Duty" (I presume they are not for hire if the sign is on, which seems strange). Sometimes the sign says "Off Duty" on one side and "For Hire" on the other. Either way, why would anyone want to advertise that they are not available, as opposed to drawing attention to themselves if they're looking for a fare? No, it's not the law in Massachusetts, but it's a good idea... |
![]() Harvard Ave., Allston, MA - 1998-11-07 |
Why are no stopping zones always the most popular parking spots? |
![]() Harvard Ave., Allston, MA - 1999-03-01 |
Aw... c'mon! - If you're gonna park illegally, at least get outta the street! What are we trying to do here... break as many laws as we can at once?!? |
![]() Harvard Ave., Allston, MA - 2001-04-09 |
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![]() "Combat Zone," Boston, MA - August, 1990 |
Audi says that the "Radio will not work if removed from car" Obviously, this thief didn't see this sign before breaking the window... or they were after something else that would work if removed from the car... or maybe if only the radio did work if removed from the car, the car would still be there? |
![]() Four Seasons Hotel, Back Bay, Boston - 1999-03-13 |
Guests' cars parks (displayed?) on the sidewalk... but are they tempting fate?.... File this under "unclear on the concept." |
![]() 2003-12-21 |
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Give me a Sign! (Never Mind. Just fix the ones we have)Personality: Oh, what people put on, do to or do in their cars!
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