"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
10/01/2020 at 10:35 • Filed to: None
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"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
10/01/2020 at 10:35 • Filed to: None | 0
| 15 |
We’re going camping this weekend at an Oklahoma State Park.
Great!
Made my site reservation online and the rates are a reasonable at $16 per site per day.
Fine just fine.
During the reservation process it was casually mentioned I’d get one parking pass, but would have to pay extra for others.
Not unreasonable as we didn’t have to pay a “per tent” fee.
And please visit our parking partner to do that.
Hmm.
So apparently all of the park is a “parking lot” enforced by Premium Parking, a private company.
I don’t like parking companies. They rank right up there with payday loan “people” in my book. I could rant on why for a very long time, but lets not.
Anyway... So parking is $10 per car per day and is “strictly enforced”.
I really don’t know why this bothers me, but it does.
I think it is the idea of going out into the “wilderness” (ok, ok... the park has a golf course on site so... not very wild) and hanging out with friends seems somewhat soured when you have to worry about fucking parking enforcement like you were out at the bar or something.
Additionally, I don’t know what deal Premium Parking and Oklahoma State Parks has worked out, but I can almost 100% guarantee that (A) it is a bad deal for the public, (B) it probably isn’t as good of a deal for the state as they think it is, and (C) Premium Parking is working hard to get their tentacles in as many parks as possible.
So, here I am, filling out my parking pass online so I can go hang out and cosplay being homeless for a weekend.
And I’m grumpy about it.
Just Jeepin'
> Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/01/2020 at 10:40 |
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I don’t blame you. Not everything the government does has to be privatized. Parks should lose money.
MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
> Just Jeepin'
10/01/2020 at 10:46 |
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It’s almost like the government should be there to benefit the citizens and shouldn’t be run like a business
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Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
> Just Jeepin'
10/01/2020 at 10:47 |
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Agree. Right before I left Washington (like... 20 years ago) there was a big debate about charging entrance fees for state parks. The argument that made the most sense to me was state parks, if nothing else, are one of the only things we, as taxpayers, can point to and say “my taxes made this”.
Last time I visited a lot of state parks had use fees so... apparently that logic didn’t work out so hot.
But yeah... I agree parks should be a cost sink and I also agree they should (or at least should be allowed to) find novel ways to make money. Having a private company collect $10 off every vehicle that enters the park and then employ minimum wage mall cops (oh and I bet they’re using licence plate scanners too...) to enforce (and data mine) it.
Note to self: B ack into the site.
Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
> Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/01/2020 at 10:50 |
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This is some bullshit. All they are doing is gaffing $10/car. I’d say fuck’em and just go. Photo copy the camping permit and put it in each car .
hillrat
> Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/01/2020 at 10:55 |
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Grrrrrrr! I’m right there with you brother. This is one of the dumbest and most short-sighted things that governments do, trade some upfront cash to fix a budget crisis for many times that amount in long term earnings. It’s governmental malpractice and the assholes that do it should go to jail.
atfsgeoff
> Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/01/2020 at 10:55 |
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I avoid places that charge money for parking like the plague. Its why I haven't been to NYC since middle school.
Spanfeller is a twat
> Just Jeepin'
10/01/2020 at 11:04 |
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Parks don't necessarily lose money... The thing is... People need to think about the added value of parks.
How much income do states get because of tourists to parks? How much more is a property worth ( and thus the taxes on it) because there’s a park nearby?
Chances are, some parks, do pay for themselves.
smobgirl
> Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/01/2020 at 11:10 |
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It always bothers me when you pay for camping and there’s a separate parking fee with it. I guess it makes sense because annual pass holders would have that part covered, but “entry fee” just feels different (and more acceptable) to me than a parking fee. I camped at some state park in Kansas where the only thing to do was camp, so why is there an additional parking fee on top of the camping? And why can’t I prepay both? I had to show up with cash to put the parking fee in an envelope at the unmanned entry station. It was stupid.
jeepoftheseus
> Spanfeller is a twat
10/01/2020 at 11:14 |
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I got my degree in Parks and Protected Areas. You’re speaking my language there!
duurtlang
> Spanfeller is a twat
10/01/2020 at 11:15 |
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They only pay for themselves indirectly. To short sighted penny pinchers and people w ho prefer ideology over the real world, spending tax money on parks is a waste.
CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
> Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/01/2020 at 11:20 |
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I’d like to rail against parking companies, but both my wife and I were employed by some for many years. Her directly and me indirectly.
feather-throttle-not-hair
> Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/01/2020 at 11:37 |
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We have pay to use express lanes in Seattle that I have been told are run by out of state companies. Nothing like sitting in heavy traffic with two extra lanes just sitting there unused, knowing that you could release yourself from this hell if you were just willing to pay some company a few bucks.
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Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
> feather-throttle-not-hair
10/01/2020 at 11:45 |
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We have a lot of toll highways that are also administered by external companies. It is OK though, they’ll remove the tolls when the road gets paid off! :checks notes: Oh wait no they decided not to do that because money.
MiniGTI - now with XJ6
> Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/01/2020 at 12:25 |
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Work in Chicago sometimes, can confirm private parking meters are evil.
ZHP Sparky, the 5th
> Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/01/2020 at 12:55 |
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The argument that made the most sense to me was state parks, if nothing else, are one of the only things we, as taxpayers, can point to and say “my taxes made this”.
Why should I hand over my hard earned dollars for some lazy bum to be able to wander around in the woods? They should be cutting these forests down and funding the government with it so we don’t have wildfires disrupting our businesses!
- Current logic from a certain over-represented subset of our population