Is It Illegal to Stand in a Parking Spot For Spot Saving?
There’s 84.1% of the population in America holds driver’s licenses. But there’s a question, do you actually get familiar with your state law?
We see a lot of videos to judge people who have potential concerns about mental illnesses and barbaric behaviors. However, the parking issue has been a nightmare ever mention, especially if you are living in the urban area or during the holidays weeks, you will get to see this happening around.
We should set the question aside, and the first talk about is standing and saving the parking space to someone a good thing to do?
Imagine yourself in this situation: You are in rush to buy groceries and gifts because you forgot today’s your wife's birthday. However, this week is going to be Thanksgiving, so it is difficult to find a parking space since people are preparing for the celebration of this holiday. You drive around the parking lots for about 20 minutes, and finally, you find a space that there’s a car coming out from the parking side. You are excited and relieved because you thought you can make it before your wife comes back home.
But unfortunately, as that car moving out and driving away, there’s a person who runs by and stands in the parking space. You are really upset so you argue with that him because you are the first who waited for the spot.
It is rude, impolite, and barbaric!
Please do not ask such a question as “why would I need to be polite,” “why can’t I do it,” or “it’s their problems, why am I the one who must be blamed?”
If you do ask, it means you are stupid.
There’s no such a culture from civilized society that people should scramble everything, even if the target does not belong to anyone. It has no meaning to be primitives. Be smart! Don’t try to hurt yourself. If we want to be respected, we must first respect others.
Fortunately, I have never met this situation in my life yet; however, I got the multiple times to see some drivers stopping right in my back and unwilling to move out because they were waiting to get in line to the Starbucks drive-thru.
However, the following vehicles are stopping in a line right in front of the bank and blocked the entire space that no cars were able to move out. That time I was really upset because my mother was sitting in my car too and we were in rush to make it back home since she didn’t feel well. No matter for what reason they blocked the traffic, as long as it is not an unavoidable situation, IT IS DEFINITELY traffic violation!
We should go back to our main topic.
In Washinton state, it is illegal to be a parking spot saver. The following paragraphs are the original statements:
It shall be unlawful for any person to reserve or attempt to reserve any portion of a highway for the purpose of stopping, standing, or parking to the exclusion of any other like person, nor shall any person be granted such right. (RCW 46.61.570)
No person shall stand on or in proximity to a street or highway for the purpose of soliciting the watching or guarding of any vehicle while parked or about to be parked on a street or highway. (RCW 46.61.255)
I must admit that reading the language in law statements is difficult to understand, but basically, blocking traffic and spot savers are literally illegal in Washington state. Technically, most states prohibit people standing in the parking spot because this behavior is a concern to block traffic.
Altogether, it is not a crime to be a parking space protector, but they can be sued and paid for a fine by blocking traffic as it is considered AS TRaffic VIolation to stop a moving vehicle.
Nevertheless, there’s no state passed the law to prevent pedestrians standing on the parking post, but they can be violating since they interfere the moving vehicle and possibly block traffic going. The best thing to do: record the whole thing and sue them for a fine Lol.
Please click the link below I provide to gain more information! The Washington law chapters RCW 46.61.570 and RCW 46.61.255 are the most relevant to the topic. It is always a good idea to keep that in mind because these things should become our common sense.
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Sources:
[1]Washington State Legislature. Stopping, standing, or parking prohibited in specified places-Reserving portion of highway prohibited (RCW26.61.570): https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61.570
[2]Washington State Legislature. Pedestrians soliciting rides or business (RCW 46.61.255): https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61.255
[3]Digital Media Law Project (January 22, 2021). Washington Recording Law: http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/washington/washington-recording-law
[4]Dyer Oxley (October 24, 2019). For the last time: Stop standing in parking spots to save them: https://mynorthwest.com/1565634/cant-stand-in-parking-spots-save/?
