Comments on: 1 hour 33 Min = $19! — Downtown Parking Price Gouging Alert! http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/2009/11/22/1-hour-33-min-19-downtown-parking-price-gouging-alert/ Awareness, Development and Action in the Twin Cities Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:43:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: DaleT http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/2009/11/22/1-hour-33-min-19-downtown-parking-price-gouging-alert/comment-page-1/#comment-8649 DaleT Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:35:23 +0000 http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/?p=509#comment-8649 OUTRAGOUS PRICING! Park anywhere but here. I had a meeting at City Hall and thought that any ramp in the area would be about the same price. Who has time to read the entire pricing chart on the way in… you just assume they aren’t going to rip you off for whatever they feel like charging. They allow you to use a credit card on entry and go without a ticket. I was there about 3 hours. When I went to the exit, the credit card wouldn’t feed into the machine. I pulled it out and tried again (yes it was facing the right way). It gets stuck again, but this time it is far enough into the slot that it can’t be removed. Press the call button and amazingly a guy walks up within a minute. He unlocks the machine, pulls out my card, walks to the gate, does something there, asks me what time I came in, reinserts the card and it works. He hands me the card and a receipt card with writing so faint I didn’t see the amount. I put it in my pocket and headed back to the office. When I got it out later it looked like it was blank, but the faint printing was upside down on top of the logo and address. It said $26.00, for about three hours! I don’t think there is a $24 maximum. I was going to look up the parking rates online to see if this was correct when this website came up as the first hit on Google. Park elsewhere! OUTRAGOUS PRICING!

Park anywhere but here. I had a meeting at City Hall and thought that any ramp in the area would be about the same price. Who has time to read the entire pricing chart on the way in… you just assume they aren’t going to rip you off for whatever they feel like charging. They allow you to use a credit card on entry and go without a ticket. I was there about 3 hours. When I went to the exit, the credit card wouldn’t feed into the machine. I pulled it out and tried again (yes it was facing the right way). It gets stuck again, but this time it is far enough into the slot that it can’t be removed. Press the call button and amazingly a guy walks up within a minute. He unlocks the machine, pulls out my card, walks to the gate, does something there, asks me what time I came in, reinserts the card and it works. He hands me the card and a receipt card with writing so faint I didn’t see the amount. I put it in my pocket and headed back to the office. When I got it out later it looked like it was blank, but the faint printing was upside down on top of the logo and address. It said $26.00, for about three hours! I don’t think there is a $24 maximum.

I was going to look up the parking rates online to see if this was correct when this website came up as the first hit on Google. Park elsewhere!

]]> By: R M http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/2009/11/22/1-hour-33-min-19-downtown-parking-price-gouging-alert/comment-page-1/#comment-8564 R M Sat, 17 Dec 2011 19:17:04 +0000 http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/?p=509#comment-8564 Two days ago, I needed to drop something off at the police department, which is in City Hall, part of the Government Plaza. I researched municipal ramp parking prices online before driving there. As I drove toward City Hall on 5th Street, I saw the 501 Self Park building and saw signage indicating "Public" and "Court," and assumed this meant public parking for people with business in the courts - not that I would have to look for the fine print as a previous poster suggests, which is impossible to do anyway when someone is immediately behind you, impatiently flashing their lights. I parked for less than an hour - the time is printed on an already-printed portion of the ticket so I can't read it but going by the clock in my car, the parking time was about 45 minutes. I was charged $17. This is not public parking - it is loan-sharking. "Public" means that the public has access, which they don't with loan-shark pricing. "Courts" gives the message it is a good place to park for people with business in the courts. "Courts" does not give the message that this is a private ramp operating on a complex, tiered pricing system that benefits longer stays (more likely to be employees or regular users) and punishes/discourages those infrequent users who are running an errand like a delivery, paying a ticket, or serving on a jury. I encourage others to report this to their city council person to review and initiate some action - as the city council has done in the past with other gouging complaints on locksmiths, towing services and cab fares. For the city to remain silent about a ramp right next to the city's governing buildings - where citizens park to access government - loan-sharking those citizens for their few minutes' use of a 5 x 10 square of concrete, is tantamount to the city's approval of treating citizens like suckers. Two days ago, I needed to drop something off at the police department, which is in City Hall, part of the Government Plaza. I researched municipal ramp parking prices online before driving there. As I drove toward City Hall on 5th Street, I saw the 501 Self Park building and saw signage indicating “Public” and “Court,” and assumed this meant public parking for people with business in the courts – not that I would have to look for the fine print as a previous poster suggests, which is impossible to do anyway when someone is immediately behind you, impatiently flashing their lights. I parked for less than an hour – the time is printed on an already-printed portion of the ticket so I can’t read it but going by the clock in my car, the parking time was about 45 minutes. I was charged $17. This is not public parking – it is loan-sharking. “Public” means that the public has access, which they don’t with loan-shark pricing. “Courts” gives the message it is a good place to park for people with business in the courts. “Courts” does not give the message that this is a private ramp operating on a complex, tiered pricing system that benefits longer stays (more likely to be employees or regular users) and punishes/discourages those infrequent users who are running an errand like a delivery, paying a ticket, or serving on a jury. I encourage others to report this to their city council person to review and initiate some action – as the city council has done in the past with other gouging complaints on locksmiths, towing services and cab fares. For the city to remain silent about a ramp right next to the city’s governing buildings – where citizens park to access government – loan-sharking those citizens for their few minutes’ use of a 5 x 10 square of concrete, is tantamount to the city’s approval of treating citizens like suckers.

]]> By: Rebecca http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/2009/11/22/1-hour-33-min-19-downtown-parking-price-gouging-alert/comment-page-1/#comment-4971 Rebecca Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:37:05 +0000 http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/?p=509#comment-4971 I was called to testify as a witness to a traffic accident. So, I took time out of my schedule to go & testify. Guess what---I had to pay $20.00 to park in the lot. That's what I get for being a good citzen, huh? I was called to testify as a witness to a traffic accident. So, I took time out of my schedule to go & testify. Guess what—I had to pay $20.00 to park in the lot. That’s what I get for being a good citzen, huh?

]]> By: ju http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/2009/11/22/1-hour-33-min-19-downtown-parking-price-gouging-alert/comment-page-1/#comment-4349 ju Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:21:05 +0000 http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/?p=509#comment-4349 Ya, I work downtown and park there everyday, you just have to pay attention to the signs, there are some sign in the ramp but if you dont pay attention you could miss it. You also have about 15 min to ask questions if you don't want to park, you can exit without pay. I'm a early bird parker, it's only $8, the signs say in by 9 out after 12p. I think they do have signs that break down the rates too. I know the price is high but we just have to read the fine print like everything else. Hopefully everyone read and pay attention so we dont have to blame anyone. Ya, I work downtown and park there everyday, you just have to pay attention to the signs, there are some sign in the ramp but if you dont pay attention you could miss it. You also have about 15 min to ask questions if you don’t want to park, you can exit without pay. I’m a early bird parker, it’s only $8, the signs say in by 9 out after 12p. I think they do have signs that break down the rates too. I know the price is high but we just have to read the fine print like everything else. Hopefully everyone read and pay attention so we dont have to blame anyone.

]]> By: Laura Lathrop http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/2009/11/22/1-hour-33-min-19-downtown-parking-price-gouging-alert/comment-page-1/#comment-749 Laura Lathrop Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:24:51 +0000 http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/?p=509#comment-749 I'm confirming that this is the case-- it just happened to me today. I had a $42 parking ticket, waited for a hearing for just under 2 hours, got it reduced to $20, and then was charged $19 for parking at this ramp. And I was fooled into parking there by the "Court Parking" sign as well. I’m confirming that this is the case– it just happened to me today. I had a $42 parking ticket, waited for a hearing for just under 2 hours, got it reduced to $20, and then was charged $19 for parking at this ramp. And I was fooled into parking there by the “Court Parking” sign as well.

]]> By: Judy Mueller http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/2009/11/22/1-hour-33-min-19-downtown-parking-price-gouging-alert/comment-page-1/#comment-446 Judy Mueller Tue, 06 Apr 2010 21:50:20 +0000 http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/?p=509#comment-446 I was directed to go to this parking and was told it was the "cheapest" location; However, I was there 2 hours and 22 minutes (I was visiting from California). What a joke and what a rip off. Why would anyone want to visit Minneapolis? This is disturbing that they can get away with this. Pay Station No. 9 Ticket No. 8903 Transaction No. 33368 Thank you, Judy I was directed to go to this parking and was told it was the “cheapest” location; However, I was there 2 hours and 22 minutes (I was visiting from California).

What a joke and what a rip off. Why would anyone want to visit Minneapolis?
This is disturbing that they can get away with this.

Pay Station No. 9
Ticket No. 8903
Transaction No. 33368

Thank you, Judy

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