Whenever I leave a 'paid for' parking space at City Hall, amusement park, night spot entry bracelets, etc. I always look for someone who is just entering and pass my unexpired parking ticket/bracelet to them. I feel that the amount to pay for most of those places is too high so I feel like I am 'sticking it' to the owners...
Do any of you also pass your parking passes, etc? Why? Why not?
Oops, I never thought of it as stealing as I am the one who paid for the spot--almost like donating clothes to a thrift store... Thanks for bringing that to my attention. However, it looks like this yielding 50/50 type responses.
I do and I don't think it's stealing. I paid for that space and timeslot. If I don't use the entire time I have paid for I feel it's fine to pass that time on to someone else.
All of the parking at our ballet studio is street parking with meters. If I can, I do pass along my parking stub to another person. It is paid for, fair and square, and doesn't say "non-transferrable" on it, so I see no problem with trying to help someone out. Our meters issue parking fare by the minute, and don't issue change, so if all I have is a $5 bill and I'm only going to use $2 worth of time, why shouldn't someone else be able to use the $3 worth of parking that is left? I consider it an act of random kindness to pass it along.
Yup, I always do. It's not stealing to me, because I've paid for a certain amount of time. I'm simply ensuring that the parking spot is occupied for the entire time I've paid.
But... I wouldn't pass along an amusement park bracelet because there you pay by the person, no matter how much time you're there. So, my entry fee covered me only, not a second person who can get in before the park closes.
We did it just this weekend. We had an hour left on our parking slip and passed it to the person waiting to take our slot. Why let the hour go wasted? It was only $2 to us but the city didn't really need $4 for that same hour. I used to also pass off my weekly passes for the train once I didn't need them. Made someone's day sometimes to know that their weekend travel was free.
I don't see how it's stealing. The parking space was paid for for that timeframe, whether we were in it or not. At the end of the hour, the other people would have to move or pay for additional time. Meters that reset when you leave are double-dipping, IMO. They are getting 2 payments for the same portion of time. How is THAT fair?
In October, someone handed my friend an entrance sticker. They were leaving early. We were arriving late. The farm still got the equivalent of one person on their lot for the timeframe and frankly we were then able to spend more on food and games because we saved $4 on the entrance. I can almost see where someone could consider that scenario stealing, but is it really? Or is it just passing on something used but not used up?
I don't do it to stick it to anybody. Just passing on a small token of kindness to someone else - and I think that's a good thing for the recipient and the venue.
Why would it be stealing if you paid for the spot till X time and still have many hours left on it? Then the owners get double the "rent" on it? I am just not sure how that constitutes stealing? You are allowing someone else to finish out your "contract"? How is it different than people feeling a little perk when they find extra time left on a parking meter? What am I missing?
I have never been in this situation as parking wherever I go is either hourly, paid after you leave a ramp, per event single rate, or mostly, free (I don't get out much).
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It's stealing, and I don't steal, so no, I don't do this. I also don't pirate music or movies or sneak into movies at theaters. 'Sticking it' to the owners is stealing a service that they are providing for profit, the same as walking into Wal-mart and taking goods that you don't intend to pay for.
Character is how we behave even when no one is looking.
I know you think you are being kind and thoughtful, but let me give you something to think about.
If you think the price of parking is too high, take the bus. You have a choice on attending or not.
Someone is trying to make a profit. They are working as hard as you do to make money and support their family as well as pay employees and pay their taxes.
If you have ever owned a business or in the future if your children ever own a business, you will totally understand that the variables make up for profits. All you can eat does not mean, gorge and then ask to fill up a togo box.
Parking is for as long as YOU are there.
And the city parking meters.. That is the taxpayers money. Once it is paid, you have the choice to stay the entire time or not. But the variables worked into the prices is depending on a percentage of as many clients getting into and out of those spaces. Paying for the cost of the street the meter people the meter itself, the maintenance.
What if that owner has a child/wife or other themselves with cancer and that parking lot running itself is the only income they have? What if that parking lot is the extra income a hospital needs to run their ICU? I agree that it is stealing and I would not accept your ticket. I rarely pay for parking but when I need to I pay and accept it and move on. Then I wonder who even thought of this in the first place?
