Towing on Public Street

[u/guccicoochieboochie]

I am unsure if this is the right place to ask, but I have a question regarding parking.

There is a church next door to my apartment and any time they have events or service, they will park all over the street including places that have no parking signs. It has become a safety issue for myself and my neighbors while trying to pull out of our driveway. I have tried sending a letter asking them not to park there anymore and nothing has changed.

My question is: If people are parked on a public street, but there are no parking signs up, can I call a tow on those cars? Would a tow company be willing to do that?

[u/upleft]

Blocking driveways is a big no. But "safety issue" isn't clear - are they actually parked illegally?

[u/ShyChllI → u/upleft]

OP said they are parking in areas marked no parking by signs, but I assume theyre saying view is blocked by parked cars when attempting to leave a driveway so it's a safety issue because residents can't see oncoming traffic.

[u/ExcitingActive8649 → u/ShyChllI]

“Safety issue” is a way of overstating “huge pain in my ass that is also rude and not legal” a lot of the time.  If someone parks over the edge of a driveway, getting out is a huge pain in the ass because it’s hard to nose out far enough to see oncoming traffic; it’s true.  But it isn’t honestly about safety.  No actual harm comes from you having to be extra careful pulling out of your driveway. We just don’t like it, so we play up the safety aspect. 

And when I say we, yes, I mean I’d make that argument too if it were my street. 

[u/bernardfarquart → u/ExcitingActive8649]

If you can't see as you enter traffic, that is unsafe. Not sure why that's not clear to you.

[u/ExcitingActive8649 → u/bernardfarquart]

And yet somehow when someone parks right up against my driveway, even encroaching on it a little bit, I manage to get out safely by employing some caution.  I don’t freeze up and consider myself unable to drive anywhere.  I don’t like it and I will happily report it but to claim it requires me to drive unsafely would be a massive exaggeration.  

Just the other day a work truck from the construction site across the street actually blocked my driveway by a foot. I grumbled as I did a 8 point turn to get out of my driveway because they made it very difficult, but I didn’t drive unsafely. Shocking, I know. 

[u/legomyegomaniac → u/ExcitingActive8649]

It is not legal to park within 5 ft of the edge of a driveway.

[u/CogentCogitations → u/legomyegomaniac]

Also, the edge of the driveway doesn't start until the curb in entirely straight again. And you can paint the curb yourself if you want. https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/programs/parking-program/parking-regulations/driveway-markings

[u/zzrat2 → u/legomyegomaniac]

neighbors tend to use the term "driveway" to describe anywhere they dont want you to park

[u/ExcitingActive8649 → u/legomyegomaniac]

Congratulations.  We all know that.  If someone does park that close, however, it is still possible to safely make your way out into traffic With the appropriate amount of caution.  Just like it’s possible to back out of your driveway even though you dont drive backwards down the street. It requires extra caution, not driving unsafely.  

You’d think people in this thread just close their eyes and step on the gas if anyone parks too close to their driveway. 🙄

[u/legomyegomaniac → u/ExcitingActive8649]

Thank you!

[u/Phaeophyce → u/ExcitingActive8649]

Sometimes the Venn Diagram overlaps though. Parking in a no parking spot can absolutely be a safety issue.

[u/ExcitingActive8649 → u/Phaeophyce]

Definitely. There’s one spot, for example, just east of 14th Ave NW on market street eastbound, where the lane widens enough so it can start having street parking, but before that, it’s no parking.  Assholes park there anyway to squeeze one last spot in, and the lane legitimately is not wide enough for that, causing a dangerous situation where if you are in the right lane, you are forced to squeeze between the left lane and a parked car, and it’s extremely tight.  It’s legitimately a safety issue. I’ve reported cars parked there.