I want to open a Parking Co-op in Long Beach, Ca. Here is my story and the obvious reason i want to begin this long over due help for the residents of a city that i lived in for only two months.
I made a move in December to Long Beach to get out of a choice i had made in August that left me with awful roommates in San Clemente. I had never lived in the LBC before but a friend of a friend had an apt she was renting out and i took it blindly, knowing this was only a temporary stay. ATTENTION RESIDENTS LONG BEACH CITY PARKING will TOW and IMPOUND your car for 5 unpaid parking tickets within 21 DAYS@@@@!! YES 21 days, not 30! But 21! Turns out the LBC has a severe parking problem. A problem that is decades old. They have chosen to profit from a game of parking rules and hidden agendas in which you are subjected to playing without any notification or choice. The parking is nonexistent in comparison to the population that lives here and that is precisely how they want it. Long Beach has found a way to weasel in street sweeping 4 days a week in a small residential block! The last major set up is sometimes the most frustrating when you have been driving around for two hours and still are with out a place to park your car. There is non red curbs that have been designated for motorcycle parking only. Out of the 45 days i lived here possessing a vehicle i saw a bike utilizing these spaces at the most 5 times. There is roughly 15 of these spots that surround my apartments directly and they are left mostly empty every night and day. How sick this place has made me knowing that they want you to fall into their parking citation trap. From every angle it is apparent that this city wants you to get tickets, lots of them. How much of this cities funds are earned this way? This city does not want to build its people a parking garage or find a solution to leaving its mostly student, low income or disabled population without a vehicle. Am i the first to see that with this huge amount of revenue they earn every single day, not one dime has been spent on bettering the problem. BUILD A PARKING GARAGE VULTURES~ i went out to get in my car on a Friday and my car was gone. It had to have been stolen? I called the cops and they came to take a report. An hour later the cop called me back and proceeds to inform me that my car had been impounded for parking citations. Not until my car was towed did i know anything about this sick scam they pull off. An instant $397 plus $48 each day its in impound on $250 in tickets. By the time i could call on Monday I owed these people $700.... EVERY night my life was consumed with parking. Driving laps with my 5 year old daughter. Thinking to myself over and over again WHEN THERE IS NO WHERE TO PARK what are you supposed to do? I moved here on December 15th 2011 and my car was towed on Jan 27 2012 I had racked up 13 tickets in 45 days, i would park in a motorcycle spot (not red) take my daughter upstairs, lock the door behind me and by the time i got back down would have another ticket... your powerless. They need to provide every single person driving into this city the simple truth that if you come to long beach and want to park your car make sure your ready for hell The Wednesday after my car was taken my BB alarm buzzed. It was the day i had scheduled myself to go see a judge and ask for community service for my 13 tickets. And to also ask the court personally how a city could leave such a depressing, life robbing problem all on the backs of its residents. Who knew? Bye car.
Now, my idea
I want to have a website that allows members to register their cars and needed information. From that point they can schedule leaving and arriving times, ahead of time or last minute if available. this the site will match your search and connect you with a neighbor who is scheduled to leave the exact time you are pulling into town to park. You must give up a space to sign up to receive spaces. A resident will be alerted that their space is needed and will wait for the allotted maximum time until the receiving member arrives. My idea is maybe a 5 minute gap of possibly sitting in the car waiting. Which is heaven in comparison to the hours most people look for parking. Residents will also be able to warn other members if they have forgot about a street sweeper. In Long Beach their is a Sweeper 4 days a week. You will be able to punch in a license plate and bring up the vehicle owners number and send them a text. Your daily PIF.
This website will be specifically for the residents of the LBC. A place where people can possibly break free from the hell of the parking situation there. I hope to keep it going to other cities in the US that also have to deal with the nightmare. Next will be Los Angeles
