The Essefficist Thinks Long-Term
Excuse all the noise, but everyone here at the Essefficist is busy celebrating the Giants' win over the Dodgers today (and digesting hot dogs). But we're here for you baby. Especially you, John. Dig it:
OK, Essefficist, I have a doozy of a question for you:
I am going on vacation for 3 weeks. I have a car. I have no money to pay for SFO parking. Where can I park my car while on vacation? It needs to be free. It needs to be within city limits, but I may be willing to consider someplace close to BART. Someplace where it won't get ticketed or towed, and (very important!!) won't get broken into or stolen. Any ideas?
Thanks! You rock.
- John
Free parking for three weeks? That's a long time, John. Let's see, you gotta find a place where not only is there no street cleaning and absolutely no site-specific length-of-parking restrictions--so that the DPT won't tag or tow your car simply as a matter of course--but also where your car isn't going to be a sitting duck for vandals or thieves. Unfortunately, the City allows cars to stay in one spot on the street for no more than seventy-two hours and in pretty much any neighborhood in town where you might feel safe leaving your car for any amount of time, locals are going to get pissed off watching your car accumulate dust for three weeks. The DPT and it's pink seventy-two hour tags are just one short phone call away. And any place where you aren't going to be subject to street cleaning or parking-jealous neighbors--let's say, maybe, Tunnel Avenue or Cargo Street--probably isn't a good place for your poor little car to hang out on its lonesome for too long.
So unfortunately, John, it seems to us that you're out of luck. Three week's worth of free and safe on-street parking within San Francisco is an unattainable goal. Unless you're the Dalai Lama or something and, um, unattainable goals are strangely attainable. Or something. Maybe someone in the comments will have a bright idea, but we doubt it. That'd be like fessing up about your poker tells. Or their favorite fishing spots. The problem with everyone knowing about something that juicy is that everyone knows about it. Before you know it there are ninety cars driving around the secret spot all the time and it might as well be the House of Nan King.
So what can we recomend? Your friend's garage. Or near your friend's house in a quiet part of town, as long as your friend doesn't mind moving your car once or twice a week so the neighbors don't get pissed and the DPT doesn't nail it for street cleaning.
And if you don't have one single friend willing to be your ally in the parking wars while you're off getting a suntan? The next best option? We checked around about long-term parking at SFO and the best deal we could come up with was $8.00 per day (+ 5% tax) at Anza Park & Sky; you have to print out a coupon found here to get that rate. (SFO's rates, by the way, are $13.00 per day for the first week and $11.00 per day thereafter.) Also, you mentioned BART. You can reserve long-term parking at certain East Bay BART stations for five bucks a day. That seems like it's about the cheapest price you'll find.
Other than that, good luck. Start buttering up your buddy in the Sunset District.
In closing, as per usual, please remember that you can e-mail all your questions about San Francisco or your own exciting life to the Essefficist, thereby obtaining, if you're lucky, even more info on the everyday things going on around you all the time (or just post 'em in the comments). And remember, March still equals Irish Month around here, even though it's April now.