Conference 7.286::digital

Where were you in 1982-83?  At that time if you arrived at the Mill 
after about 9:00, you parked on the street.  All the lots were full.

This situation improved after several groups were moved out of the Mill 
(supposedly because the Maynard Fire Department got on Digital's case 
about violating occupancy/fire laws).

The present situation is bad because the ice and sand obscure the lines. 
People park however they wish and parking efficiency goes down 
dramatically.

Not sure what can be done.  Putting in little guide islands would only 
prevent effective plowing.

Bob

    Back in the early '70s, the US Government decided that the way to
    decrease downtown pollution was to discourage commuting. At that
    time, DEC had to decrease the available parking space at least 10%,
    as I recall, for all building in towns located within I-495.
    (This has since gone away.)
    
    For Mill parkers, there is an overflow lot on the street that
    St Bridget's is located on (the angled street). It is up at the
    corner with Rt 117. Not sure of its current status, but I think
    I saw it plowed out.
    
    I did see a memo recently from one group in the Mill suggesting
    the possibility of parking at Parker St and taking the shuttle over.

    RE: .1 -- Where was I ...?  I was HERE.  I've been here (at the
    Mill) since '73 but don't ever remember it being THIS bad.  
    
    Sorry if the frustration is .0 showed through.  I was just trying
    to see if anyone was hearing any rumors to improve the situation.
    It just seems to me that the problem has been getting worse for
    the past few months.
    
    bs
    

    	Like I said in another note...parking by badge numbers!  Works
    every time, is cheap to do/change, is something to "shoot for",
    everybody likes it (even if they say they dont!), and it's a known
    quanity when one arrives at work.  Zero drawbacks...maximum success.
    
    Keith
    
    

    Parking by badge number??
    With all the sand in the parking lots now you can't see the parking
    space lines, how do you expect to see badge numbers.
    
    What do you do with all the employees that come from other facilities?
    

    In response to .4 and .5 I have been with the company 5 years now
    and have worked at 5 different  sites (I have changed jobs once
    (1). If I am anything close to average, parking by badge number
    would seem ludicrus (sp)...
        Sorry .4
    
    
         JZW

    The situation is just as bad in SHR (we use to be in the Mill).
    It just seems wherever you go, DEC has 1000 employees and 500
    parking spots { 8^)}. I dont't think this kind of problem will
    ever be solved.
    
    CJN

    There alwasy seems to be someplace to park here (HLO) if you are
    willing to walk far enough, and MRO1 has LOTS of parking (although
    MRO3 was built during the time when you were required to not build
    enough parking and never has enough).  However, the funniest parking
    mess has to be LKG (where my husband works).  This is a BRNAD NEW
    building, too.  DEC has made arrangements for people to park at
    a nursery a mile or so down the road, and runs shuttle buses back
    and forth!  Anyone arriving after about 8:45 finds themselves parking
    at the shuttle stop - unless they arrive during lunch.  And anyone
    who has to work late finds themselves with a long, cold walk.  Ugh.
    
    To be fair, King Street has other problems - there are far, far
    more people working in it already than it was ever designed for
    -- I think that was already true when the building was "officially"
    opened last fall.  My husband got temporarily moved to Boxboro (BXB,
    I think), which isn't even completely constructed yet, along with
    about 100 other LKG people, until LKG2 is built.  Plan ahead?

    yup, LKG is great if you want to keep you collection of DEC parking
    tickets up-to-date. :-). I have to really think that the snow is the
    cause for most of the headaches... I haven't seen it this nice <I ski>
    for 10 years... Matter of fact I used to park in the visitor's lot at
    NIO for a year, then they forced me out cause of the parking shortage
    <guess I wasn't the only one>; (first day I'm in the Employee lot some
    J*rk broke into my car.) 
    
    dd;

    Perhaps I'm just lucky, but I've never had a problem parking at
    the Mill when I visit.  I always park in the lot that leads to the
    5-1 entrance (don't know what your name for it is).  I may have
    to walk a bit, but I always find a space.
    
    Here in ZK we have an odd situation.  ZK2 is overloaded, and the
    ZK2 lots fill up quickly - people park in the wierdest places. 
    Yet the ZK1 lots (not really a significant distance) have plenty
    of capacity.  People are lazy, I guess.  I'd rather walk a bit farther
    than park in a potentially dangerous space, blocking a fire lane,
    etc.  I hope when ZK3 opens that the situation will be relieved,
    at least for six months until IT is overcrowded!
    				Steve

    
    Trying to find anywhere to park at DEC Park in Reading is just as
    bad as the Mill. Recently a great deal of work on our car parks
    gave us about 20 extra spaces, by eliminating some shrubbery.
    
    I'm *seriously* thinking of bicycling the 13 miles into work this
    summer.

    Albuquerque is loaded with spaces folks...maybe you should transfer
    here. ;-) At the present time...we are only utilizing a little over
    1/2 of the north lot. As we never use the south lot, it has been
    closed completely.
                                 -sunny-

    I've been in MK1 since April of 78 (about seven mos. after the plant
    opened). We've always had plenty of parking spaces. When MK2 opened,
    they built another parking lot to go along with it. It wasn't _quite_
    big enough, but the excess capacity of the MK1 lots was still suf-
    ficient.
    
    Personally, I like the DEC philosophy of "no reserved spots - first
    come, first served" (but then I usually arrive at work at 7:15 so
    I always get a prime spot :^) ). You know, even when we have the
    state of the company meetings up here, there is sufficient space
    to accomodate residents and visitors, it just gets a little less
    convenient and further to walk. But oddly, that's when the DEC
    policy breaks down, as the lots convenient to the MK2 cafeteria
    (site of the SOTCM's) are reserved for attendees. That's the only
    time I've ever been made to feel like a second class citizen, as
    I've never been able to understand why some fat-a__ VP from Marlboro
    rates a more convenient parking spot than me.
    
    -Jack
    

� MK's got lots of room too 

  You are joking aren't you? I occasionally attend meetings at MK, and have
  yet to find a reasonable parking space anywhere near the plant.
  
  On one memorable occasion I parked so far from the entrance that the effort
  of walking from the parking space to the entrance induced an asthmatic
  attack: I spent 90 minutes recovering by which time I had missed my meeting.
  Fortunately I pursuaded a security guy to drive my car up for me (else
  I'd have probably had another attack getting back to the car.)
  
  Yes I have a DEC medical parking permit but it is only valid at ZK.
  
  I am very reluctant to get official - state issued - disabled plates for
  my car, because I am not 100% disabled and rarely need the privilege.
  But when I need it I need it!
  
  As for visits to MK - I now use the helicopter shuttle to get from ZK
  where I can park to MK.
  
  /. Ian .\

     RE: .14
     
>    Yes I have a DEC medical parking permit but it is only valid at ZK.
  
     Ian, are  you  sure  of  this???    It  seems  to me that if you are
     "disabled" at ZK, then you are just as "disabled" at MKO!!
     
     DEC (at least  in  US)  has everyone on a database to determine name
     from badge #/car registration (provided that you registered that car
     with DEC Security), thus when  they  call  in an errant parker, they
     could determine that you have a  valid reason to park there.  Please
     check it out and save your health  (talk  with  a  supv  or  mgr  in
     security, as local guard may not have correct info).
     
     Even if they give you a ticket, you  can  correct  the situation and
     educate  them  after  the  fact,  but you shouldn't jeopardize  your
     health  for  fear  of  a DEC parking ticket.  Shucks,  they  haven't
     thrown  anyone  off  the  clocktower here (MLO) for too many parking
     tickets in at least three months!! :-) :-)
     

    Len,
    
    Yes  I am sure of it! the permit bears the phrase "valid only at the 
    Digital facillity at Spit Brook Rd. Nashua, NH"
    
    However I guess the security guards elsewhere would at  best  turn a 
    blind eye - anyway I'll check with medical services and security.
    
    regards,
    
    /. Ian .\

    Having the type of knees that help educate the children of orthopedic
    surgens I've had to use DEC medical parking too issue in MK1.  When at
    other facilities I usually told the receptionist where I parked, the
    plate number of the car and explained I had medical permit parking. 
    
    One day I went over for a meeting in MK2, I parked in the Med Parking
    which is in the customer parking lot (key number to escape).  The
    receptionist knew me and gave me the number though when I went out a
    security guard was putting a ticket on the car.  I explained that I had
    med parking privs (I had the crutches to prove it under my arms) he
    told me that these spaces were for customers with Digital Medical
    Parking Permits. 
    
    I handed him back the ticket and asked him how a customer gets a
    digital medical parking permit.  He though about it and took back
    the ticket.

    KMc
    

    Re: .14
    
    >� MK's got lots of room too 

  >You are joking aren't you? I occasionally attend meetings at MK, and have
  >yet to find a reasonable parking space anywhere near the plant.
  
    There's just not a lot of space that's a "reasonable" distance from
    the door.
    
    There is a difference between no good parking and no parking.  There
    are always empty spaces in the MK parking lots, even though they're
    a ways out.  Not only are there NO spaces in the lots by ZK2, but
    cars *make* spaces.  Every row of cars has an extra car at each
    end.  The perimeter of the parking lot is lined by cars.  Turning
    the corner is getting to be dangerous.  Next time I have a meeting
    there, I'll keep the tip on the ZK1 lots in mind.

    
    
    
    Parking at the mill has never been easy even when we didn't own
    it all. There was a gag memo circulating in the 75'/76' time frame
    that threatened illegal parkers with the firing squad. 
    
    The problem is not really so much with the lack of parking area
    but with the inabillity or unwilingness of people to park correctly.
    
    
    Most people simply abamdon their cars where they stop  and to heck
    with the rest. if it takes two or three parking places so what!!
    
    A little bit of courtesy and perhaps some decent drivers education
    would help. Also a little bit of retraining wouldn't hurt. People
    driving sub compacts still think they are driving the 59' Mercury
    Monterey. 
    
    BTW if you would like a copy of that memo, and remeber it is a PHONY,
    write me at node HARPO::CACCIA  ask for Steve
    

    It seems to me the company could alleviate the parking situation
    by promoting van pools more aggressively. Subsidize the vans more,
    increase the incentives to be a driver etc.
    
    I was on a van pool last year but quit, because I can drive my car
    almost as cheaply, and I get to come and go when I please. I still
    can't figure out why van drivers drive vans, all the hassle just
    doesn't seem worth it. 
    
    Seems like it wouldn't be very expensive to make vanpools more
    attractive for everyone. 
    
    -Neil
    

    Van pool drivers get the free use of the van after work and on
    weekends. They also pay no fare. This is a modest benefit, but it's
    significant to some - eliminating the need for a second car (or, in the
    case of one driver I knew - any car at all!). But most drivers I know
    do the job because they believe in making this method of commuting
    work.  In short, they're great people, who deserve a lot of praise and
    respect. 
    
    I challange the assertion that it's just as cheap to drive as to
    ride the van.  Van fares average $35 a month.  That includes everything
    - gas, maintanence, insurance, and a new van when the old one wears
    out.  If you can manage that with your car, I'd like to know what
    you drive!
    
    Digital's contribution to the vanpool system is figured on the basis
    of what it saves by not having to provide support services for 
    additional parking and whatnot.  It adds up to about 1/3 the 
    operating cost of the vans.  Digital also provides adminstrative
    assistance.  It is important that their contribution not exceed
    this amount, or else vanpool service becomes a taxable benefit.
    
    To those who complain about parking, all I can say is start or
    join a vanpool!  Don't wait for Digital to drive you to work.
    Our van (Cambridge-Maynard) has an opening now. (You can contact
    me for more details.)  The benefits for riders are not just
    financial:
    
     - it's amazing what you can do on your way to and
       from work when your hands aren't stuck on a steering wheel
    
     - it's great to get to know others at DEC while you commute
    
     - it's a relief not to have to drive in inclement weather
       (thank you, van drivers!)
    
    
    MATT
    (van pool rider for 3 1/2 years, and currently administrator of
    #137)

    I am amazed at how inconsiderate people can be in the Mill lots.
    They think nothing of blocking the access isles to the point that
    you can barely fit a car through. Has anyone ever taken the time
    to consider how a fire truck or other emergency vehicle would get
    through?  I got so mad at this one day that I called the head of
    Corporate Safety. The only thing I saw of it was the memo that went
    out about parking near St. Bridgets or a Parker Street.
    
    The people are beginning to block the isles even when there are
    plenty of spaces further back. How lazy can you get?
    
    Nick

re:.21

$35 a month?  You must have had a full van!  I rode a van from Boxboro to MK
for almost 5 years.  The lowest I ever saw our fair was around $40-$45 and that
was only when we had a full van.

For those who don't know, the van is a fixed price/month divided by the number
of passengers.  For a while, we were down to 8 riders and were paying $80 each
month including the driver (who could have ridden for free, but if he did so it
would have cost over $90 and the van would have folded).

But, I still agree that even at $80 a month its still a lot cheaper than driving
80 miles a day at around $.20/mile (which is probably low).

-mark

    The fact of the matter is that there are more people now working in the
    Mill and there are not enough parking spaces.  It was not like this
    just few months ago.  People who are telling us to walk more, really
    haven't been in the Mill for quite some time.  There just AREN'T enough
    parking spaces anywhere in the Mill parking lots. 
    
    But then, what do I care?  I am not affected.  I come by van :-)

- Vikas

    
    Yes.  I agree with .24.  It wasn't like this a few months ago. Off and
    on over the years it's been bad, but I don't think it has ever been
    quite this bad.  I am also not opposed to walking some distance to get
    into the buildings or back to my car.  
    
    Thanks for all your thoughts and ideas to improve.  One thing I didn't
    realize was that there was a parking lot near St. Brigets. Next time I
    can't find a spot I'll check it out.  PK is an option too, 'eh?
    (Arrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggg)
    
    bs
    
    ps -- Has anyone thought of filling in the pond.  Kinda smells anyway. 

    RE: .23  "incredulous @ $35"
    
    The vanpool I'm riding in is $32.50 this month and is going to be
    lower next month because of two added riders.
    
    

    re: .25  Filling in the pond? Where do you think they got the lower
             Thompson street lot from? Too many environmental issue
             to even think about doing it again.
    
    How about towing cars that are parked in such a way that they block
    fire lanes. Take them over to the St. Bridget's lot where they should
    have been parked in the first place. Coming out and not finding
    you car for 15 minutes or so should convince you where not to park.
    The tickets from security are a joke and have no effect.

    This is a real live safety issue, if you've ever seen an old wood an
    brick mill building go up in flames you'll understand why emergency
    equipment needs quick access to the building. The only excuse for
    blocking a fire lane is stupidity. 
    
    

        What about parking lot shuttle service at the Mill? :-)

    If dinky little town like Maynard can build multi-story parking lot in
    the downtown, I see no reason why digital can't build one on the Lower
    Thompson parking lot. 

    - Vikas

    I used to be on the Cambridge-Maynard van. Now I carpool with one
    other person in the winter, and ride a $250 motorcycle the rest of 
    the year. Since I already own my car and have to pay insurance 
    anyway, driving my car ten times a month for five months is not
    expensive. And there's *nothing* cheaper than my bike (sneakers,
    maybe?)
    
    I agree that most van drivers do it because they believe in making
    that method of commuting work, and good for them! But my point was that 
    there could be a change in the level of corporate support for van
    pools as a way to improve the parking problem. It seems like they
    could do *something* in that direction, and do better than the 
    suggestion to park in PK and take the shuttle (oh brother!)
    
    If the company could figure out a way to improve the van drivers'
    'modest' benefit, they could alleviate the parking problem by 
    attracting more people to the vans. I thought about being a driver
    for #137, but jeez, how often do I need a van after work? If you
    don't have a car, it's a benefit. If you already have a car, the 
    van is pretty clunky for city driving. I 'need' a van about twice a 
    year. Otherwise it's just a dinosaur. Doesn't it seem like there
    might be quite a few potential drivers among employees who already
    have cars and who see 'free use of the van' as a bit scanty, 
    benefit-wise? Option to cash in your 200/month free mileage into
    cash might help.
    
    Maybe I wasn't clear. I'm all in favor of vanpools. They are the
    perfect solution for many people. But I wonder why more people don't 
    use them. Of course, I wonder the same thing about motorcycles. :-) 
    
    One small comfort:
    
    As soon as spring comes, you'll see 40-50 bikes parked around the
    mill, which means 40-50 fewer *&% cars blocking the fire lanes.
      

    
    I think that in years past the Commuter Transportation picked up
    about 1/3 of the van lease.  A couple of years ago (last year?) it
    went down to 1/4 of the van lease.
    
    There used to be at least three van pools running from various points
    through Arlington to the Mill.  There were so many van pools stopping
    at St. Camilius that it got the nickname "salvation station".  Now,
    there is just one Cambridge to Maynard van.
    
    If you are really getting fed up with the parking, join a van pool
    or form a van pool.  They work.  And they make sense.
    
    I wonder why people drive van pools too.
    
	    							-mr. bill

re: vanpools

I don't think the problem is getting driver, but rather finding people who
want to change their working styles.  It's definately a different way of
life and very inconvenient if you're the type who likes to come and go as
you please and don't mind never being able to run lunchtime or afterwork
errands.  Drivers I've know do NOT do it for the benefits (though they're a
little extra incentive) but rather because someone has to do it and if nobody
volunteers the van will be disbanded and everyone will lose.

re: parking

A multi-story garage is an interesting thought.  I was at one of the AT&T main
offices several years ago and noticed this wonderful employee parking garages
they had.  It was almost as elaborate as some of the parking facilities at
some airports.  Oh yeah, I almost forgot...  Didn't they lose a pile of money
last year?   8-)

Those garages aren't cheap!

-mark

    The solution is quite straight-forward.  Either build more parking
    spaces or get rid of some people from the Mill.
    
- Vikas 

    As to the finances of riding in a vanpool,  I rode in one for 
    several years, with a 100 mile round trip �. The $70 per month
    was just about what I would have been paying for gas.  The additional
    benefits include:
    * you can have your car insured as a pleasure vehicle if you do
    	not drive it to work. (substantially cheaper)
    
    * With that kind of commute, maintenance for your car becomes a
    	considerable expense.
    
    * extra sleep on the way to/from work (wake up at the office!)
    
    * most vanpools have some nice/interesting people riding in them
    	whom you probably would not meet if you didn't ride.
                                                                      
    * you don't need to spend an hour or so unwinding after you get
    	home, you just did that on the van.
    
    I believe that there is a financial break-even point that is milage-
    dependant.  However, even if it were more expensive to take the
    vanpool, many of the other benefits would make it worth it for me.
    
    
    Kevin

    re .28
    
    There ARE Parking Lot Shuttles at the Mill now!  They start somewhere
    around 8:00 and end at something like 5:30...
    
    :)
    
    

    If you are in a vanpool, what do you do when you have to work late
    on a critical project, but didn't know it that morning?  Are managers
    willing to support van pooling to the point of guaranteeing that
    you will be able to leave at a regularly scheduled time?  
    
    What do the drivers do when they take a sick day?  or vacation?
    And do riders have to pay fees during vacation weeks?
    
    I am interested in how you make it work!
                                                            
    Holly
    
                                            

    re .36:
    
    I was a vanpool driver for six years (retired last February, couldn't
    get enough riders).
    
    In those six years, I didn't run into a manager who couldn't
    be trained to accept my requirements for strict schedules. I required
    a day's notice in order to change that schedule, and was also able
    to work at home in emergencies.
    
    You must have at least one reliable backup driver to run a vanpool
    realistically - two is much better. Given that, sick days are easy,
    and vacation takes no more planning than is normally required to
    address the needs of your job (except for Christmas - no one wants
    to tie themselves to the van over the holidays). To avoid burnout,
    it would be a great idea to shift total responsibility for the van
    among the drivers every few months.

    You are required to put up a monthly fee for the van, which covers
    all expenses. This fee is shared by the participants, in a manner
    that is pretty much up to them. Our rules were:
    
    	o  The driver doesn't pay for the days he drives (this included
    	   backup drivers.
    
    	o  All other passengers pay equal amounts.
    
        o  Overbooked passengers (a common practice to keep fares down)
    	   pay the same as everyone else, except that they get refunds
    	   for the days they get bumped (in six years, we were full
    	   on three days, and never bumped anyone).

    	o  The monthly fee for the van did not take into account vacation
    	   and holiday time - neither did the resulting passenger fares.

    As I understood it, Digital's sole contribution to the vanpool program
    was the funding for the staff of roughly three people that managed it.
    They took care of procuring vans, scheduling maintenance, qualifying
    drivers, paying credit accounts for fuel, etc., and also provided
    some services for finding passengers. When the program was young,
    there was some rumor that Digital was covering some percentage of
    the monthly leasing/operating costs. However, when the monthly bills
    were finally itemized (at the request of many drivers), it became
    clear the the cost reduction was in fact a break from the lessor
    in response to the volume of Digital's business.

    
    I am not currently in a vanpool, I was riding when I was at a
    previous job. (I haven't hooked up with a vanpool from my new
    house to my current on-site work location yet.)
    
    As to odd hours, yes, they become a problem.  If you know ahead,
    you drive yourself in.  If you are in a position where you often
    have to work late with little/no warning, maybe it's not for you.
    
    On the other hand, if it is a fairly rare occurrance, you could
    (depending on your situation) 
    
    Hitch a ride home with someone else also working late, and living
    in the same general direction
    
    Get a friend/spouse/S.O. to come pick you up in exchange for dinner
    
    Ride the van home and either work at home, or drive back for the
    evening
    
    Work all night anyway (yuck)
    
    As to what drivers do when they can't drive, most vanpools have
    at least one alternate driver who picks up the slack.
    
    And, last, most pools work on a monthly basis, so you either
    pay for the time you don't ride, or risk losing your seat.
    (If you think about it, the loss of your fare costs the rest
    of the van, and as everyone takes vacation sometime, it
    balances out in the long run.)
    
    Kevin

    re: "wasted time driving around..."  WHAT? You must not be a Boston
    Driver!  Here's a hint: stop the car and get out - bingo! you're
    parked!
    
    	RMM
    

    
    RE: .39 -- Oh, thanks.  Great piece of advice.  Many others have
    obvisouly taken your advice because there are ALWAYS cars out there,
    parked by people who don't care and just 'stop the car and get out --
    bingo' -- someone else in a Fire Lane. 
    
    Driving in Boston?  Yes.....LOTS.  I love it.  I especially love the
    strange looks and hand signals I get from other drivers when I let
    someone cross the street or pull out ahead of me. 
    
    bs

      One small step toward improving parking at the Mill would
    be the elimination of "Blue Pass Parking" spaces.  When they
    repaved the former "3-deep" parking lot, they doubled or 
    tripled the number of "blue pass" parking spaces.  These
    spaces are reserved for DEC V.P.'s and important customers
    and stand half-emptly most days while all the other lots 
    are filled to the brim.  I think this stinks!  Who do I write
    to to protest this injustice?
    
    Greg
    

    what really frosts me is that people seem to park on the end of
    the rows in the lower Thompson lot even when the whole damned lot
    is almost empty.
    
    I got here this morning at 6:55 and there were at least 3 or 4 cars
    already parked on the end of the first two rows.  (I parked in the
    third row, which was the last filled row when I got here)
    
    
    
    
    I've come in at 10:00 a couple of times in the last few months and
    drove around the lot for at least 15 minutes.  there are no spots
    to be found (this was before the memo about using the lot across
    the street)  It is rather frustrating, and I can see how one might
    want to stretch the end of an isle.
    
    Something has to be done, it IS unsafe.   What can be done?  who
    knows?
    
    
    -bill

      I arrived at the Mill this morning at 9:15 after an early
    morning doctor's appointment.  Lower Thompson St. looked
    full upon entering the lot.  I turned down the first row
    and spotted what looked like a space.  However, sitting in
    half that space and half the forward adjacent space was an
    Olds Cutlass.  Well, I drive a pickup truck with nice rubber
    bumpers on the front bumper.  So, I pulled up to the Olds,
    made contact, and then pushed it forward six feet; it slid
    easily over the sand-coated parking lot.  Thus, I reclaimed
    a wasted parking space.  Now I only hope the inconsiderate
    parker doesn't come back and notice the marks indicating
    his car was pushed forward.  
    
    Greg
    

   Why be considerate - the other driver wasn't?
   
   It reminds me of something that happened a few years ago to me: at the
   time I was driving a Land Rover regularly and one day (on a customer
   site) I got blocked in by somebody in a small car (a Ford Fiesta) --
   I went and found the local security folks and asked what I should do.
   They came and looked, and considered it for a few minutes and then said
   "push him out the way". So I got in the Land Rover and duly pushed.
   
   Land Rovers don't have nice rubber pads on the front bumper - the front
   bumper is a solid steel U-channel beam bolted directly to the through
   members of the chasis. I duly pushed him out the way, but in doing so
   three of his tyres blew, and his front bumper was squashed flat.
   
   The security guard then stuck a 10" square piece of paper over his drivers
   window (the local deterrant for illegal parking) and tucked a note behind
   his windscreen wiper to the effect that the vehicle had been moved in
   accordance with security policy, and that the damages where the
   responsibility of the owner.
   
   I never found out who owned the Fiesta, and frankly don't care.
   
   Vehicles that park illegally should be towed or pushed out of the way,
   and if the vehicle is damaged then that is tough luck on the owner...
   
   /. Ian .\

Including those who park in handicapped parking spaces (a common occurance
down here).

-Andy

    Even after 45 replies, we still have no solution.  However it did
    help in fostering my opinions about pick-up truck drivers in general.
    
- Vikas

      I do not consider myself aggressive by nature.  However, the parking
    situation at the Mill tends to frustrate me and when I see someone
    hogging two spaces I get furious.  I suspect this practice would
    cease if DEC parking tickets produced monetary penalties.
    
      One potential solution to the parking problem, which I believe
    was already mentioned, would be to build a relatively small two-
    level parking garage.  There are several parking lots at the Mill
    where this conceivably could be built.
    
    Greg
    

    Though I get riled at people that use more than one space, I don't
    feel that anyone has the right to damage someone's property by pushing
    it out of the way.
    
    Have it towed, yes, put your truck next to it and shove not hardly.
    
    If anyone ever did it to my vehicle, they'd have hell to pay.
    
    I don't park illegally, so I guess this doesn't really effect me,
    except to say that if I saw you do it, I'd be writing down some
    info for the smuck you felt you had the right to nail.
    
    

    I heard that the Mill was going to put in parking meters.
    

        Parking problems are, it appears, not restricted to the mill.
        
        Sydney Head Office, is a 12 floor building. We only have 80-90
        Car Parking Spaces in the Basement. Once upon a time, those
        spaces were issued on the basis of need, you know, F/S engineers
        and SW Specialists who need to come in and out several times
        a day.
        
        They have now been re-allocated on a level basis. Seems you
        need to be a level 10 or above employee to rate a parking space.
        
        And the parking station that the others were move to, is to
        be torn down in two weeks time, and no word yet of replacement.
        
        Hell, I think I might just work from home...
        
        q
        

    The solution to the parking problem in the Mill is to find a job
    somewhere else. I put up with the inadequate parking there for 6
    years....and now I can walk the 50 (or less) feet from a legal parking
    space to the building (LMO in Marlboro). Parking lot shuttles are
    a step in the right direction....
    
    Jim
    

   I have worked in both LMO4 and the Mill and I liked the Mill
better. My experience at LMO4 was that all the parking places
within 200 feet of the front entrance are gone by 9:30. There is
an unmanned rear entrance but I couldn't stand the indignity of
standing in the rain and cold waiting for the remote-control lock
to unlock. 
  I feel that walking 1000 feet or so from the car to the door is
a good excuse to get some exercise. But when there is no space for
parking anywhere, that's another story.

    I guess some things are being done to try to relieve the parking
    problem at the Mill complex.  I just heard that Digital is 'offering
    an incentive' for people who park at PKO and shuttle to the Mill.
    Is this true?  What kind of incentive?
    
    bs
    

re: .53

The incentive is a token/coupon for a free cup of Coffee at the nearest
Tobins Cafeteria.

Forgive a potentially stupid question, but I can't tell if .-1 is serious
or not.  At first glance I assumed it was a ha-ha, but then I thought maybe
someone actually might have implemented something like that.  I sure hope
not!

-mark

    re:.54,.55
    Doesn't sound like a joke.  That's exactly what you get for parking
    at Cataldo's Nursery and taking the bus to LKG.

What if you don't like coffee? Can you get a free donut instead?

    The actual offer (according to the mass mailing they just did last
    week [this week?]) was for a small *drink* defined as soda, coffee,
    tea, juice, if you parked at PKO1 or PKO2 and took the shuttle to
    the mill.  Apparently, they are also beefing up the shuttle service
    from 1 van to 3 (I am assuming this in only during morning and evening
    rush hour periods).
    
    Sue
    

        Of course, second prize is *two* cups of coffee... :-)
        
        q
        

    	Same solution 1000 times!!  Parking BY BADGE NUMBER!!!!!
    
    Keith
    
    

>    	Same solution 1000 times!!  Parking BY BADGE NUMBER!!!!!
    
If that means the lower the badge number, the better the parking place, it is 
just as bad a solution as others that have been suggested. And I know the low 
badge numbers aren't going to sit still for the "bad" parking spots.

Besides, are you going to volunteer to go out and paint all the badge numbers 
on parking spaces and then go back and change them all when someone transfers?

FCFS works... sort of :-)

    Paint? Don't be silly. We'll plant LEDs in the parking lot and
    update them by computer. Maybe we'll make everyone put some kind
    of computer readable label on their cars too. This way the computer
    can detect people who have parked in the wrong spot and send them
    a ticket via VAX mail.
    
    :-)
    
    		Alfred

     I would agree that badge numbers are a bad idea (change too often).
     How about phone extension - that gives a unique number for every resident,
     the set of numbers isn't volatile (though the owners may be), and if
     you leave your lights on or get a flat tire it gives security an easy
     way to know where to contact you.
     
     /. Ian .\

        Re: .64
        
        Parking by phone numbers has the same problems as by badge
        numbers:
        
        	People get good (or bad) parking spaces consistently
        	through no fault of their own.
        
        	Good parking spaces will go empty because people
        	with those spaces just happen to spend lots of their
        	time in other facilities.
        
        	The spaces reserved for visiting employees will either
        	be to small (and so visitors are forced to park far
        	away while some reserved slots are empty) or too
        	large (and so employees have to park further away
        	while other slots are empty).
        
        What is the cause with this obsession with parking by number?
        The end result of reserved parking slots is more empty slots
        that nobody is supposed to use.  This means that the average
        distance from car to building is further.  It also means
        that DEC has to make more parking spaces than are necessary
        without reserved slots.  This would seem to make any parking
        by number scheme worse than the current situation.
        
        					B.J.

    Right. I've always assumed that the silly suggestions for parking by 
    number  were  intended as a joke (or at least irony). They certainly 
    can't be taken seriously.
    
    Think about it - if there were more parking spaces than cars,  there 
    wouldn't be a parking problem.
    
    So  long  as  there are more cars than parking spaces, ANY algorithm 
    that prevents a car from using a parking  space  simply  exacerbates 
    the situation.