# Why do we drive on the parkway and park on the driveway **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [May 3, 2007, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-drive-on-the-parkway-and-park-on-the-driveway/402673 "2007-05-03T22:15:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![quantum50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e19b73/32.png) [@quantum50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quantum50)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-drive-on-the-parkway-and-park-on-the-driveway/402673/1 "2007-05-03T22:15:17Z")
> [@](#): > > After awhile, this does make sense. After 30 minutes of circular reasoning, it was determined that I am allowed to have gravel on my driveway, but I am not allowed to have gravel on the parkway (in this definition, the parkway is the grass between the sidewalk and the street). We solved that in Akron by calling it the “devil’s strip.” ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-drive-on-the-parkway-and-park-on-the-driveway/402673/2 "2007-05-04T00:29:24Z")
Which, the driveway or the parkway? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-drive-on-the-parkway-and-park-on-the-driveway/402673/3 "2007-05-04T03:42:18Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, quantum50. A link to the column you’re commenting on is appreciated. Providing one can be as simple as pasting the URL into your post, making sure to leave a blank space on either side of it. Like so: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_080.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_080.html) At least I presume that’s the one you’re commenting on, since it’s the only one I could find where Cecil goes into depth about the parkway/driveway enigma. I don’t know where your quotation comes from. Care to enlighten us? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-drive-on-the-parkway-and-park-on-the-driveway/402673/4 "2007-05-04T11:24:49Z")
[QUOTE=bibliophage] Welcome to the SDMB, quantum50. A link to the column you’re commenting on is appreciated. Providing one can be as simple as pasting the URL into your post, making sure to leave a blank space on either side of it. Like so: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_080.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_080.html) At least I presume that’s the one you’re commenting on, since it’s the only one I could find where Cecil goes into depth about the parkway/driveway enigma. I don’t know where your quotation comes from. Care to enlighten us? [/QUOTE] I think I can clear up what happened. It’s probably my fault. I _think_ I must have accidently erased some of **quantum50** ’s post, thinking I was replying. But I probably hit “edit” by mistake. The original question, IIRC, was a description of what the local town had done to him. Fined him $650 for having gravel on the strip between the sidewalk and the street. He can have a gravel driveway, but the “parkway” or strip between the sidewalk and street where he lives, has to be grass, not gravel. I apologize to the guest. Maybe he’ll see this and repost. **samclem** ---
**Author:** ![quantum50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e19b73/32.png) [@quantum50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quantum50)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-drive-on-the-parkway-and-park-on-the-driveway/402673/5 "2007-05-04T16:59:30Z")
Yes, **bibliophage** is showing the correct link to the forum I originally read. Yes, \*\*samclem \*\*erased my original post. I do not remember the exact wording of my original post. Here is a brief re-post A Code Enforcement officer from the village of Romeoville, IL essentially told me that I could park on my gravel drive way but I could not drive on my gravel parkway. (The parkway is defined as the area between the sidewalk and the street). I had to spend 625 dollars to pave over the gravel in the parkway.