So there's this cone.

[Chino]

I work in a city where parking is hard to come by. You either park miles away and bus in, or you pay ridiculous prices for parking garages. The garage I park in costs $200 a month and parking is on a first come first serve basis. There is a separate area for "reserved parking" that costs an extra $100 a month, and that guarantees you a spot right by the entrance/exit.

About two weeks ago I noticed a cone blocking a good parking space. I thought nothing of it as the garage will often times blocks spaces to service lights or vents. That afternoon I saw a car in that space and the cone off to the side by its rear bumper. The next day, the cone was back. A few days later, I had to go in later than usual. I saw a woman, who was driving the car that always now has that space, getting out of her car and moving the cone so she could back her car in. This woman is reserving her own spot in the garage outside of the more expensive reserved section.

It probably shouldn't as much as it does, but it really pisses me off. Today I ran her cone over and left it laying on its side. I want to, neigh, I need to take action. I'm contemplating steeling the cone. I almost did today, but there were two other people near by. Instead, I left them with the thought "why'd that asshole intentionally run over that cone?". I'm also debating printing out a sign that says "Asshole parking only" and taping it to the cone tomorrow morning.

DTF. I look to you for advice. How should I handle this cone?

[BlobVanDam]

Buy paint in the same colour as the cone. Arrive before she does. Paint it up as thoroughly as possible. When she goes to move the cone, she will get painty. Repeat as necessary. Alternatively, lube it up real good.

Get a bunch of big bugs, like cockroaches or something, and set it up so that when she lifts the cone, it releases all of the bugs underneath.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Today I ran her cone over and left it laying on its side.

 

This pisses me off. She can pay the extra 100 bucks if she wants a reserved spot. Death to the cone!

[Dr. DTVT]

I'd inform the company running the garage.  While revenge is fun and all, it's not worth getting yourself in trouble over this.

Also, I will direct your SS to this thread.

[Stadler]

Safest bet is to talk to the garage operators (though don't rule out that she slipped an attendant $50 to look past the cone).    You can park there, but don't rule out retaliatory action (though you know who she is so that helps you).

REAL dick move (but it will solve the problem) is find out where she works and go see her boss.  There's a slim chance he'll be impressed by her initiative, but a better chance he'll not want the aggravation.

[bout to crash]

That would really piss me off too. Are there cameras in the garage? The rest of my response depends on that 

[Chino]

That would really piss me off too. Are there cameras in the garage? The rest of my response depends on that 

There are not. I have made very sure.

[ZKX-2099]

Get your own cone.

[El Barto]

She's cheating the company that owns the garage. Let them deal with it. ZKX is also onto something. If you star doing the same thing, within a week there will be ten others doing it and the garage owners will have to clamp down. I can't in good conscience suggest ratting on her, but I've got no problem with expediting the company's noticing that they're getting ripped off.

Or maybe Stadler is right and they're taking a 50 to ignore it, in which case they've legitimized this as a cheaper option.

[yorost]

Good response. She is cheating the facility and the customers. Not sure I would run it over instead of just toss it to the side (protect my own car), though.

Also, turning the cone in to lost and found might get you an answer. Sounds like you're sure she has no right to her cone, but finding out might be prudent. I'm assuming you are certain of the situation, but in case you are not.

[bout to crash]

Honestly, I'd probably just take the cone 

And then if a new one shows up, tell the people who run the garage.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Shit in her cereal parking space.

[hefdaddy42]

Cereal aside, remove the cone.  Leave it in a random parking lot on the way home one day.

[Chino]

Shit in her cereal parking space.

I can shit under the cone!

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Jackpot, mothafatha.  Make it so.

[ZKX-2099]

At the very least slather it with some greasy/sticky substance.

[Calvin6s]

Get your own cone.

That took too long for somebody to come up with the right answer 

[Chino]

Get your own cone.

That took too long for somebody to come up with the right answer 

Two wrongs don't make a right.

[El Barto]

No, but then you don't actually know that it's wrong, do you? Moreover, have you ever been unable to get a parking space in there before? Seems to me that it's mostly a wrong against somebody else. I suppose if she staked out the spot closes to the door/elevator/exit/whatever, then that would be more problematic. Still, it's only a wrong against you if you would have gotten that space.

[Chino]

No, but then you don't actually know that it's wrong, do you? Moreover, have you ever been unable to get a parking space in there before? Seems to me that it's mostly a wrong against somebody else. I suppose if she staked out the spot closes to the door/elevator/exit/whatever, then that would be more problematic. Still, it's only a wrong against you if you would have gotten that space.

I've never not been able to park. However, I've had to park three levels down while she gets to come in an hour after everyone else and gets a spot 10 spaces from the exit.

[Calvin6s]

.

[El Barto]

No, but then you don't actually know that it's wrong, do you? Moreover, have you ever been unable to get a parking space in there before? Seems to me that it's mostly a wrong against somebody else. I suppose if she staked out the spot closes to the door/elevator/exit/whatever, then that would be more problematic. Still, it's only a wrong against you if you would have gotten that space.

I've never not been able to park. However, I've had to park three levels down while she gets to come in an hour after everyone else and gets a spot 10 spaces from the exit.

I'm on your side here, so don't construe this as anything but me arguing over the philosophical aspect of the whole thing.

So, based on the time that you arrive, is it reasonable to think you might actually get a good spot, close to the exit? I'd say she's gaming the system (assuming what she's doing is actually against the rules), but I don't think she's wronging you.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Two wrongs don't make a right.

So we have to figure out what plus wrong WILL equal right.

X + wrong = right

So to figure for X, we subtract wrong from each side, which gives us this:

X = right - wrong.

So when we put that back into the initial equation, we end up with this:

(right-wrong) + wrong = right.

The two wrongs essentially cancel each other out, leaving this:

right = right

So two wrongs DO make a right.

[Calvin6s]

If you want to go about it in a deceptively narc way, just go ask the garage how much the cone costs.  Maybe they will stop the cone or maybe they will say "$40/month cash".

[Chino]

No, but then you don't actually know that it's wrong, do you? Moreover, have you ever been unable to get a parking space in there before? Seems to me that it's mostly a wrong against somebody else. I suppose if she staked out the spot closes to the door/elevator/exit/whatever, then that would be more problematic. Still, it's only a wrong against you if you would have gotten that space.

I've never not been able to park. However, I've had to park three levels down while she gets to come in an hour after everyone else and gets a spot 10 spaces from the exit.

I'm on your side here, so don't construe this as anything but me arguing over the philosophical aspect of the whole thing.

So, based on the time that you arrive, is it reasonable to think you might actually get a good spot, close to the exit? I'd say she's gaming the system (assuming what she's doing is actually against the rules), but I don't think she's wronging you.

I usually pull into the garage at 7:20. At that time, I always get a space within 20 spaces of the exit. After 7:30, you're likely parking a floor down. By 8:00, you're parking three floors down. This woman rolls in around 8:00, taking the spaces that the 7:20 crowd would usually get.

This morning I arrived around 7:40 and the entire first floor was full with the exception of her space. She might not be wronging me specifically, but she's wronging my community, man.

[Calvin6s]

.

[Calvin6s]

.

[El Barto]

Calvin's is certainly an option. You could move the cone and let somebody else snag the spot, potentially causing a confrontation with this woman and some hapless citizen. You could do something similar; go to Fastsigns and order up a 12x18 "Reserved For Employee of the Millennium Bryan Mendocino" sign and slap it up there.

At the end of the day I still think she's gaming the system. One of those things that people grumble about, but mostly because it's something they're not willing to do. Like claiming the neighbor's dog as a dependent because he drinks from your pool and shits in your yard.

Sorry if I misspelled your name.

[TAC]

Two wrongs don't make a right.

So we have to figure out what plus wrong WILL equal right.

X + wrong = right

So to figure for X, we subtract wrong from each side, which gives us this:

X = right - wrong.

So when we put that back into the initial equation, we end up with this:

(right-wrong) + wrong = right.

The two wrongs essentially cancel each other out, leaving this:

right = right

So two wrongs DO make a right.

If my kid ever pulls out that shit when I try to discipline him, I'm gonna........




























....congratulate him and let him off!

[Anguyen92]

At the end of the day I still think she's gaming the system. One of those things that people grumble about, but mostly because it's something they're not willing to do. Like claiming the neighbor's dog as a dependent because he drinks from your pool and shits in your yard.

If I hadn't taken a tax class, before this current fall quarter, I would be like "so what?"  What's the matter of putting a neighbor's dog as a dependent?  Now that I'm taking a tax class, I would be like yep, you should not do that just so that you can subtract $4,000 from your gross income on your tax return.

Anywho, initially, what I would do if I see that cone is that I would just chuck the cone as far away from the garage as possible, but I would never have the courage to do this in real life.

However, I like El Barto's method of putting a 12x18 "Reserved For Employee of the Millennium Bryan Mendocino" sign and post it at the spot.

[Calvin6s]

.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

[Calvin6s]

It would be a bit funny if Chino took matters into his own hands only to find out the garage offered a $1/month lottery for the chance to win that cone.  I'd just worry about putting your own parking privileges in jeopardy.

[El Barto]

It would be a bit funny if Chino took matters into his own hands only to find out the garage offered a $1/month lottery for the chance to win that cone.  I'd just worry about putting your own parking privileges in jeopardy.

That's a brilliant idea, actually. Chino should suggest it and then they'd have to clamp down on people gaming the system.

[ZKX-2099]

Get your own cone.

That took too long for somebody to come up with the right answer 

Two wrongs don't make a right.

Actually most of the time when you're parking you're doing a 90 degree turn.