06-13-2011, 04:30 AM
But more like a parking siesta... Downtown at least. (Since that's where they charge for it.)
I noticed the meters are only in use/effect until 5PM. And Sundays are free too. (Been doing some volunteering stuff downtown, so I stared to notice this.)
If I was a business owner with an establishment downtown, I'd be smart about it. If open early in the day, I'd let everybody take off an hour before noon. Restart around 4:30-ish (to get everything ready), and make best use of the evening and nighttime hours. (Until curfew or thereabouts.) Sort of like the siestas in the Mediterranean coast of Europe and Central America, but for a somewhat different reason. (Free parking instead of mid-day and afternoon heat.) Provided you keep the place busy looking and well lit, no reason why it shouldn't attract any customers. A storefront should be presented in a way that makes it obvious that you're open. The restaurants already take advantage to some amount, but it makes no sense that hardly anybody else does. (Most of TV isn't good enough to be an excuse not to work that shift these days, and VCRs are cheap and DVRs common. There are other benefits. You'd be surprised how easy it is to get other things done with the early afternoon free while everybody else is working.)
Anyhow, at least get the word out that you don't always have to babysit your car when doing downtown shopping. If businesses are smart enough to adjust to this, I think it would be good for all involved. :mrgreen:
Thus there is free parking available downtown. (At certain hours.) The fee parking can be left to those with city and county legal matters that must be attended to during the day. :lol: And of course overflow parking in either case would still cost. (Garages)
I noticed the meters are only in use/effect until 5PM. And Sundays are free too. (Been doing some volunteering stuff downtown, so I stared to notice this.)
If I was a business owner with an establishment downtown, I'd be smart about it. If open early in the day, I'd let everybody take off an hour before noon. Restart around 4:30-ish (to get everything ready), and make best use of the evening and nighttime hours. (Until curfew or thereabouts.) Sort of like the siestas in the Mediterranean coast of Europe and Central America, but for a somewhat different reason. (Free parking instead of mid-day and afternoon heat.) Provided you keep the place busy looking and well lit, no reason why it shouldn't attract any customers. A storefront should be presented in a way that makes it obvious that you're open. The restaurants already take advantage to some amount, but it makes no sense that hardly anybody else does. (Most of TV isn't good enough to be an excuse not to work that shift these days, and VCRs are cheap and DVRs common. There are other benefits. You'd be surprised how easy it is to get other things done with the early afternoon free while everybody else is working.)
Anyhow, at least get the word out that you don't always have to babysit your car when doing downtown shopping. If businesses are smart enough to adjust to this, I think it would be good for all involved. :mrgreen:
Thus there is free parking available downtown. (At certain hours.) The fee parking can be left to those with city and county legal matters that must be attended to during the day. :lol: And of course overflow parking in either case would still cost. (Garages)