# is multi-space parking illegal?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 23, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056 "2009-02-23T15:49:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/21 "2009-02-23T21:18:04Z")
> [@Voyager](#):
>
> I’ve seen very few signs saying “Park in numbered stalls only” and the like. Would a legitimate customer in a lot saying customer parking only (which is common) be liable to be cited if there is no sign about taking one space?
Not under the system desribed in my last two posts.
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### Author:  [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/22 "2009-02-23T21:21:41Z")
> [@beowulff](#):
>
> In a parking lot that serves a hotel / boardwalk in Marina Del Rey. You pay for a ticket as you enter. I have a big truck, and parked at the far end of the nearly empty lot, and took 1 1/2 spaces (I pulled through, so the truck took up part of the rear space). There’s no way I’m ever paying that ticket…
Wait until you have to renew your DL. State agencies are swapping information now, as my husband found out last year when he had to pay a 12 yo speeding ticket from AZ.
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### Author:  [@SeanArenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeanArenas)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/23 "2009-02-23T21:28:33Z")
> [@Balthisar](#):
>
> Actually, I kind of had a hard time seeing what the problem was with some of the photos on your site. On some of the other photos, you seem to blame car _B_, when it’s apparent that car _A_ is so close to the line that of course car _A_ has to park “rudely.” I’m saying “apparent” because it’s not really clear in some of the photos.
If someone is parked in spots 1 and 2, and spots 3, 4, and 5 are available … and you choose to park halfway between spot 2 and 3 instead of just parking in spot 3, then it’s your fault, not the driver who parked in spots 1 and 2.
I’ve watched people park their cars and it’s clearly the fault of the person parking the car. They could have just moved one half spot to their left (yes, one half spot further from the store) and they would occupy only one spot. But “because” someone else took two spots, they do too.
I’ve even approached people who I’ve seen park badly and asked them about their parking (over 5 times, probably less than 10). My girlfriend has a conniption when I do this as she thinks I’m going to get killed or something.
Most of the times, the person acts like I’m in the wrong for politely asking them to move their car so they’re only in one spot, or for politely asking them why they chose to park in two spots. Often they’ll say that they will only be “a minute” or “a short time” and therefore it “doesn’t matter.” So then I take a picture of their car.
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/24 "2009-02-23T21:32:56Z")
> [@Queen\_Bruin](#):
>
> Wait until you have to renew your DL. State agencies are swapping information now, as my husband found out last year when he had to pay a 12 yo speeding ticket from AZ.
I’ve got until 2020 - so I’m not too worried…
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### Author:  [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/25 "2009-02-24T02:35:43Z")
> [@SeanArenas](#):
>
> If someone is parked in spots 1 and 2, and spots 3, 4, and 5 are available … and you choose to park halfway between spot 2 and 3 instead of just parking in spot 3, then it’s your fault, not the driver who parked in spots 1 and 2.
You’re right, that’s rude behavior. I just meant that from your photographic evidence, it’s not always clear. For example, how does one know that spot 4 wasn’t full prior to taking the photo, and so parking in 2-3 next to the car in 1-2 may not be rude.
On the first photo, “Grey Toyota Tundra rudely parked” I’m not sure what’s wrong. The paint is only half there, but it looks like the concrete barriers are delineating the spaces instead of the leftover paint. From the photographic evidence, it looks like the white truck is the rude parker.
In both cases if you personally took the photo and witnessed the entire event, then I have nothing to dispute. I’m only saying that the photos aren’t necessarily self-explanatory.
For the “White Ford F-150 parked rudely” I _do_ see the problem, but think I’d blame the establishment. Aren’t there laws that dictate parking space size? I don’t think I’d even fit in that spot with my Continental. All of the other cars are crossing lines, too. They should designate a special go-cart section or something.
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### Author:  [@SeanArenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeanArenas)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/26 "2009-02-24T02:42:23Z")
> [@Balthisar](#):
>
> Actually, I kind of had a hard time seeing what the problem was with some of the photos on your site. On some of the other photos, you seem to blame car _B_, when it’s apparent that car _A_ is so close to the line that of course car _A_ has to park “rudely.” I’m saying “apparent” because it’s not really clear in some of the photos.
I just looked through the photos again and don’t agree.
There may be occasional domino cases like you suggest, but I’ve literally seen that in a parking lot that is filling up with people arriving at work where they all park next to each other, rather than just one spot further away. So three people did it wrong, that makes #2 and #3 right? They had 230 other choices in the lot, why did they choose spots where they’d “have” to park over the line?
But looking through the list again, the vast majority are people who are either negligent in their parking (parking over line and not noticing/caring) or do it intentionally. Either they’re saving themselves a slightly longer walk, saving themselves from having to re-park, or think they somehow benefit from taking two spots so park that way on purpose.
Many of the pictures I posted are large trucks or SUVs in COMPACT spots. Most of them don’t even pretend to try to fit. Many of the other pictures are people parking with an island on one side or the other of their car, and they’re over the line in the other direction - can’t be some other car’s fault.
[This one is pretty choice](http://youparkrudely.blogspot.com/2009/02/grey-honda-parked-rudely.html).
[Gigantic truck who can’t even fit in two spaces, really takes up three](http://youparkrudely.blogspot.com/2009/02/copper-truck-parked-rudely.html). And there’s no cars to either side of him.
[Ford Explorer in two compact spots](http://youparkrudely.blogspot.com/2009/02/black-ford-explorer-in-compact-spots.html). There’s just no call for that. Most are like that.
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### Author:  [@SeanArenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeanArenas)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/27 "2009-02-24T02:51:35Z")
> [@Balthisar](#):
>
> On the first photo, “Grey Toyota Tundra rudely parked” I’m not sure what’s wrong. The paint is only half there, but it looks like the concrete barriers are delineating the spaces instead of the leftover paint. From the photographic evidence, it looks like the white truck is the rude parker.
I’ll agree the glare and the photo quality don’t make it obvious on the white tundra one, but click on the picture to zoom in.
You see the line to the left of his truck? That’s the left line of a COMPACT spot. That’s why it starts out saying COM behind his left tire. You can’t see the line on the right side of his truck because it’s directly under his truck, unfortunately hidden in shadow. I tried to brighten the picture with a graphic editor, but could only do so much. The concrete barrier in this lot is only designed to contact your front-right tire. The barrier for him is directly in front of his truck because he’s 1/2 space to his right.
> [@Balthisar](#):
>
> In both cases if you personally took the photo and witnessed the entire event, then I have nothing to dispute. I’m only saying that the photos aren’t necessarily self-explanatory.
I took the vast majority of these photos. I spent the last couple of years using whatever camera I had at hand, often just a cell phone camera. Sometimes a better one, and it’s more clear what happened in those good ones.
> [@Balthisar](#):
>
> For the “White Ford F-150 parked rudely” I _do_ see the problem, but think I’d blame the establishment. Aren’t there laws that dictate parking space size? I don’t think I’d even fit in that spot with my Continental. All of the other cars are crossing lines, too. They should designate a special go-cart section or something.
Again, he’s parking a truck in the COMPACT car spots. I park my girlfriend’s Sentra in those spots all the time. It is tight in that particular lot, but it is doable. If you’re driving a compact car. This guy might have been faced with a tough choice - he obviously couldn’t park in the spot on the left, he’d be banging doors with that blue car. He couldn’t park in the spot on the right, he’d bang doors with that black car. Oh well, guess he’ll have to drive about 40 feet further from the store and park in a non-compact spot like a person with a truck should. But that’s IMO. Apparently local jurisdictions are not consistent, and enforcement is nonexistence, so the law doesn’t agree. So I’m punishing them the only way I can - putting their car online.
All I can hope is that some day someone sees this site and changes their parking habits for the better. My girlfriend thinks someone is going to find out where I live or work and kill me.
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### Author:  [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/28 "2009-02-24T03:34:13Z")
Not saying tht it’s right, but some folks intentionally will occupy more than one space to save on scratches and dents.
One place that I worked actually had to boot a couple of employee’s vehicles for that after several warnings to everyone. They had a limited parking area with just enough slots to cover the largest shift (no shift overlap), but with a couple of jackasses taking up more than one spot, came up short. One of them had a classic car that he didn’t want scratched by someone else’s door and the other had just bought a new pickup that was a tight squeeze (but doable) for a standard parking space.
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### Author:  [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2009, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/29 "2009-02-24T04:59:27Z")
> [@beowulff](#):
>
> I got a $50 ticket for doing this in California.
> FWIW, it’s still unpaid.
Was that on a city street of government property. the only parking on private (as in mall) property is handicap parking.
Most city cops will not even come to an accident in a mall unless the peope involved are getting into a fight.
Now the mall cops will issue tickets.
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### Author:  [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2009, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/30 "2009-02-24T10:49:40Z")
> [@SeanArenas](#):
>
> [This one is pretty choice](http://youparkrudely.blogspot.com/2009/02/grey-honda-parked-rudely.html)
Actually, I like this one. Rather than parking between the lines in a spot that is way too big for him anyways, the owner of that car parked off to the side, thereby leaving an entire other spot open for a small car (I drive a Tercel; I could so fit into that spot).
If you actually saw these people in the act of parking like jerks, then that’s one thing, but if you came across a situation like this after the fact, then you don’t necessarily know how cars were parked when the civic arrived. That person might have been taking the only available space, and someone else then left, making him look worse than he is. You should see the on-street parking near my house; during the evening, residents park very close to each other to get as many cars in as possible, but day-time people tend to leave bigger gaps. It can often result in some cars looking like assholes, taking 2 spaces, when really, that car was originally crammed into the tiniest space possible overnight.
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### Author:  [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2009, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/31 "2009-02-24T12:50:42Z")
> [@SeanArenas](#):
>
> Many of the pictures I posted are large trucks or SUVs in COMPACT spots. Most of them don’t even pretend to try to fit. Many of the other pictures are people parking with an island on one side or the other of their car, and they’re over the line in the other direction - can’t be some other car’s fault.
I agree. I didn’t say that _every_ photo was bad! In fact, it’s not until I get to the obvious photos that I realize two key things about your bad photos: (1) apparently there exists some thing in your area called “compact spots,” and (2) the concrete dividers don’t line up with the parking spaces, and in fact your parking spaces don’t line up with the dividers or even with themselves! That’s real chaos! (I live in snow and salt areas; we can never count on never seeing painted lines for three months out of the year).
As for the “compact spots,” I don’t know what to say. I’m guessing these spots are only allowed to be built in certain parts of California (judging by the plates)? I’ve driven a lot in California, but have never encountered anything called “compact spots.” Is there force of law behind these, or is it just a way for lazy builders to squeeze more spots into a too-small space?
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### Author:  [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2009, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/32 "2009-02-24T13:28:21Z")
Looks like you haven’t encountered the phenomenon known as “Guido parking” in some parts of the Northeast, where you park your Monte Carlo or Camaro across _four_ spaces.
It’s a stretch, but multi-space parking could be a zoning violation if it causes a parking lot to have a number of spaces below the minimum required for the use. Still, nobody will be prosecuted for it; resolving the violation involves moving the car. More common are citations for boondocking, or overnight camping in a parking lot.
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2009, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/33 "2009-02-24T13:29:00Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#):
>
> Was that on a city street of government property. the only parking on private (as in mall) property is handicap parking.
>
> Most city cops will not even come to an accident in a mall unless the peope involved are getting into a fight.
>
> Now the mall cops will issue tickets.
I don’t think it was private property - it was in a Public (pay) lot run by the city.
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### Author:  [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2009, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/34 "2009-02-24T13:32:11Z")
> [@Balthisar](#):
>
> As for the “compact spots,” I don’t know what to say. I’m guessing these spots are only allowed to be built in certain parts of California (judging by the plates)? I’ve driven a lot in California, but have never encountered anything called “compact spots.” Is there force of law behind these, or is it just a way for lazy builders to squeeze more spots into a too-small space?
Antiquated zoning codes. In many zoning codes of the 1970s and early 1980s, a certain percentage of compact car spaces could be used in lieu of regular spaces, to reduce the surface area used for parking. The problem: what you described, where SUVs cram themselves into the spaces. Now, some progressive communities are discovering that parking lots are rarely full, as their zoning codes call for enough parking to satisfy a “100 year parking event”. Instead, they’re reducing the number of required spaces, and some are establishing parking maximums to prevent empty seas of parking, and promote more compact development.
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### Author:  [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2009, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/35 "2009-02-24T13:36:22Z")
FWIW, the holy grail would probably be seeing someone parked across two _handicapped_ spaces, or two preggo spaces.
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### Author:  [@czarcaztic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/czarcaztic)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/36 "2009-02-24T14:16:22Z")
> [@SeanArenas](#):
>
> I have actually called the police two times and both times they told me that multi-space parking is not illegal. My friend tells me the police don’t know, it’s Parking Enforcement I should call.
\*The police don’t know? \* ☹
And your friend does? Riiiiiiight. :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@SeanArenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeanArenas)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/37 "2009-02-24T14:45:05Z")
> [@czarcaztic](#):
>
> \*The police don’t know? \* ☹
>
> And your friend does? Riiiiiiight. :rolleyes:
LOL - Living up to your name 🙂
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### Author:  [@SeanArenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeanArenas)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/38 "2009-02-24T14:52:09Z")
> [@Balthisar](#):
>
> I agree. I didn’t say that _every_ photo was bad! In fact, it’s not until I get to the obvious photos that I realize two key things about your bad photos: (1) apparently there exists some thing in your area called “compact spots,” and (2) the concrete dividers don’t line up with the parking spaces, and in fact your parking spaces don’t line up with the dividers or even with themselves! That’s real chaos! (I live in snow and salt areas; we can never count on never seeing painted lines for three months out of the year).
>
> As for the “compact spots,” I don’t know what to say. I’m guessing these spots are only allowed to be built in certain parts of California (judging by the plates)? I’ve driven a lot in California, but have never encountered anything called “compact spots.” Is there force of law behind these, or is it just a way for lazy builders to squeeze more spots into a too-small space?
In the area I have lived since the 70s (Los Angeles county, originally San Gabriel Valley, now San Fernando Valley), there’s always been Compact spots.
In a parking lot with (let’s just say) 100 spaces, the 30 spaces closest to the entrance would be compact. (Well, the 4 spaces closest would be handicapped, but the next 26 are compact). Really this means that you should only be parking in one of those spots if you drive a small (compact) vehicle which will fit in one of them.
There are other, non-compact spaces, which are much larger. Depending on the parking lot, they can be 10% larger or 50% larger. At the Trader Joe’s, the compact spots are particularly small.
What this should mean is that the driver’s estimation of what they painters meant by “compact” should be smaller. If your car won’t comfortably fit into the spot and still allow room for both of your neighbors to open their doors, you should drive the extra 40 feet down and park in a non compact spot.
What it unfortunately really means to them is that they have to either park much more carefully, or just park over the lines.
In some lots where there are huge seas of open spots, I can see converting those compact spots to regular spots, and this would be less of a problem. However, the Trader Joe’s parking lot usually feels somewhat crowded. Mostly all of the compact spots are full, although that’s usually because there’s F-150s, Sierra 3500 HDs, Hummers, and full sized vans parking in spots marked compact. Seriously, what’s wrong with walking an extra 40 or 60 feet and parking in a spot that will accommodate your size vehicle?
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### Author:  [@SeanArenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeanArenas)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/39 "2009-02-24T15:01:21Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#):
>
> Actually, I like this one. Rather than parking between the lines in a spot that is way too big for him anyways, the owner of that car parked off to the side, thereby leaving an entire other spot open for a small car (I drive a Tercel; I could so fit into that spot).
>
> If you actually saw these people in the act of parking like jerks, then that’s one thing, but if you came across a situation like this after the fact, then you don’t necessarily know how cars were parked when the civic arrived. That person might have been taking the only available space, and someone else then left, making him look worse than he is. You should see the on-street parking near my house; during the evening, residents park very close to each other to get as many cars in as possible, but day-time people tend to leave bigger gaps. It can often result in some cars looking like assholes, taking 2 spaces, when really, that car was originally crammed into the tiniest space possible overnight.
re: [You Park Rudely: Grey Honda parked rudely](http://youparkrudely.blogspot.com/2009/02/grey-honda-parked-rudely.html)
This picture was taken by a coworker at our place of employment. This was taken about 6:50am. Traffic is just starting to fill up in the lot, it was about 20% full. This parking area is close to the entrance door which is why this area fills up quickest.
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2009, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-multi-space-parking-illegal/487056/40 "2009-02-24T15:03:03Z")
> [@elmwood](#):
>
> FWIW, the holy grail would probably be seeing someone parked across two _handicapped_ spaces, or two preggo spaces.
And dumping out his ashtray on the pavement while setting up his “I Hate Negroes” signboard. :mad:😃
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