Arena Parking Challenge

[mean]

There are cars in downtown Chicago and New York, so good luck with that. But young hotties live alone in those cities. And walk places! At night! Alone! Is KC so much more dangerous? What is virtually everyone in this damn city so afraid of? And, perhaps more importantly, why are people who themselves live downtown reinforcing this false perception that walking a few blocks downtown (or, apparently, at 95th and Quivera) at night is actually a risky behavior? I seriously don't get it.

[KCPowercat]

why are you arguing with these people through me?  Want their emails addresses?

yes people walk alone in every city and are fine...all I said is I don't have a stick up my ass if someone doesn't feel comfortable walking alone at night somewhere...anywhere.

my initial point was cordish's overly complicated parking rules and fees is costing them customers.

[KCPowercat]

when did I say I reinforced that opinion?  If I did, I mispoke, otherwise poor assumption on your part....ie never once told someone 'ohhhh, better get a walking buddy'.

[LenexatoKCMO]

And, perhaps more importantly, why are people who themselves live downtown reinforcing this false perception that walking a few blocks downtown (or, apparently, at 95th and Quivera) at night is actually a risky behavior? I seriously don't get it.

Not to mention that HH usually implies that it will be breaking up somewhere in the 6-7-8PM range.  For half the year, that's still broad daylight.

[mean]

when did I say I reinforced that opinion?

I don't usually think it's a good idea for young hotties to walk 5-10 blocks alone really anywhere...not just downtown.

I'm not arguing with "them"; I'm arguing that as a rational, thinking human, you should reconsider your position that it isn't a good idea for young hotties to walk around alone.

I like to think I also do not have a stick up my ass, but I would totally give someone a hard time for moving their car a few blocks downtown and incurring unnecessary parking fees. I have also teased friends for paying to park in a garage or surface lot when there's free street parking a couple blocks away. I also routinely give people shit for driving from one end of a strip mall parking lot to the other so they can visit BigBoxA and BigBoxB without walking a few hundred feet.

My point is, the root problem isn't Cordish's parking rules, even though I agree they are dumb. The root problem is that many if not most people in this town have a massively inflated perception of crime risk, and are unwilling to walk even a few blocks because they're afraid they're going to get mugged or raped. If you "don't usually think it's a good idea for young hotties to walk 5-10 blocks alone really anywhere" then I'd argue that you probably share this perception, at least to some degree. I think it is just fine, and probably a good idea, for young hotties to walk 5-10 blocks alone almost anywhere. There are a few places where sure, maybe not. But downtown KCMO!? 95th and Quivera!? Come on!

[KCPowercat]

I'll just say I have never once told someone who wanted to walk downtown (or anywhere) alone not to do so....if asked I tell them they will be fine...but on the other hand I'm not going to argue with a female who doesn't feel comfortable walking alone.  I really have no basis as to what they might deal with walking alone.  Deep down I understand there are additional risks with someone walking alone in an unfamilar area...hence my one quoted comment.

now can we discuss my actual point or are we just going to focus on that one line?  I do appreciate the attention that suggestion that 'im the problem' but it really wasn't what I was aiming on talking about.

btw, not every potential p&l happy hour customer comes from downtown.

[Highlander]

The root problem is that many if not most people in this town have a massively inflated perception of crime risk, and are unwilling to walk even a few blocks because they're afraid they're going to get mugged or raped. If you "don't usually think it's a good idea for young hotties to walk 5-10 blocks alone really anywhere" then I'd argue that you probably share this perception, at least to some degree. I think it is just fine, and probably a good idea, for young hotties to walk 5-10 blocks alone almost anywhere. There are a few places where sure, maybe not. But downtown KCMO!? 95th and Quivera!? Come on!

The problem is not walking alone at night.  Most gals I know would have no problem doing that as long as the area is well lit and there are other people around.  Make it dark and empty the streets out and I think you'd have to be a pretty naive or very well prepared young woman to venture into that setting alone.  The chance that something would happen would be slim but it's absolutely a higher chance than if one was travelling in a well lit area with other people around.  Here's the problem; a bad encounter only has to happen once to have very dire consequences. 

[mean]

now can we discuss my actual point or are we just going to focus on that one line?

You're the one who said you didn't think it was a good idea, so that's all I had to go on. Jeez. I don't think it's that difficult to see where I was coming from based on what you said.

Anyway, to your actual point, Cordish's parking rules are stupid and confusing, but they are a moneymaker so I don't see them changing. Maybe if people get burned enough, they'll learn to park on the street and walk. Or park in the xroads and hop a MAX. I doubt most people will be like, "I'm never going downtown again!" outside a very vocal minority who were probably looking for another excuse to hate on KCMO / downtown anyway.

[KCPowercat]

nah there were hundreds of words you had to go on, that's just the ones you decided to write an entire paragraph about....glad I cleared up my opinion on that though.

[chrizow]

i read on the internet that kcpowercat hates downtown!

[mean]

i read on the internet that kcpowercat hates downtown!

OMG IT IS TRUE!

[KCPowercat]

he hates these cans /the jerk

[KCMax]

Technology to shut up the "parking is difficult to find crowd":

Parking Made Easy in San Francisco

Parking is easy, but finding a place to park is not. A Global Positioning System or GPS can direct you to a restaurant or a freeway entrance ? but not to the nearest open parking spot. But thanks to a San Francisco solution, that information will soon be available. In most modern cities the common perception is that parking is hard to come by. Measurement of parking availability and car turnover in San Francisco, however, proves the opposite. There are plenty of spaces, but most drivers just don?t know where to find them.

Streetline, a privately held company based in San Francisco, has developed technology to change that. Once a Streetline sensor is glued to a parking spot and connected to the system, it gives real-time information on open spaces ? to drivers and to urban planners. When the sensors are connected to parking meters, cities can manage parking facilities and set pricing models that match up with actual demand.

Get on it KC!

[trailerkid]

I really wish this forum would stop discussing parking altogether-- unless it's contraction of our parking landscape. It is such a non-issue in this region it's borderline embarrassing to even see/hear it discussed. Parking might've been an issue pre-1950s in KC, but we've actively morphed our once-beautiful city over the last half-century into 1964 Los Angeles...a "series of parking lots interrupted by buildings." LA has densified-- turning itself into a vibrant, world city-- while KC continues destroying early 20th Century, historic, mixed use structures to make way for single-use parking facilities.

[KCMax]

I really wish this forum would stop discussing parking altogether-- unless it's contraction of our parking landscape. It is such a non-issue in this region it's borderline embarrassing to even see/hear it discussed. Parking might've been an issue pre-1950s in KC, but we've actively morphed our once-beautiful city over the last half-century into 1964 Los Angeles...a "series of parking lots interrupted by buildings." LA has densified turning itself into a world city while KC continues developing more single-use parking facilities.

Its a fact this city is very auto-centric. While we can do what we can to make it less so, I think it would be naive to try and pretend we don't have to deal with this issue when dealing with attracting people downtown.

Besides, you talk as if our discussion has been on expanding parking. Our discussion has been on lessening parking and making drivers more aware of just how plentiful and easy existing parking is.

[trailerkid]

Its a fact this city is very auto-centric. While we can do what we can to make it less so, I think it would be naive to try and pretend we don't have to deal with this issue when dealing with attracting people downtown.

Besides, you talk as if our discussion has been on expanding parking. Our discussion has been on lessening parking and making drivers more aware of just how plentiful and easy existing parking is.

If you cannot find a parking spot downtown KC-- you need to be committed. It's not an issue and hasn't been for many decades.

[trailerkid]

What vibrant city dedicates a great amount of energy and accommodation into parking facilities? 100% serious question.

[KCPowercat]

So quit talking about it

[trailerkid]

So quit talking about it

my point is we, collectively, we need to stop worrying about it. we could have infinite parking on every block and motorists would still complain. there is no possible way for an urban area to satisfy every want of a motorist and still maintain urbanity. our downtown is already a motorist's paradise (6 lane traffic, endless surface parking lots, single-use structured parking, multiple high-speed highway interchanges, former lack of pedestrian signals, etc.). this is the reason people from hyde park drive downtown to go to work.

done.

[KCMax]

What vibrant city dedicates a great amount of energy and accommodation into parking facilities? 100% serious question.

They don't. We're not a vibrant city yet. And during a transition period, when residents are getting acclimated to the idea of going downtown again, there will be a learning process.