Sunday, October 9, 2011

Employees vs. customers for Austin Street parking

From the Times Ledger:

Indolent employees who feed parking meters in a Forest Hills shopping district are starving local shops of customers, according to business owners in the area.

Some people who commute to work on Austin Street park along the bustling strip in the morning and stay there until closing time, disregarding the two-hour time limit.

“They are too lazy to walk,” said John Xerakias, owner of the Austin House Diner, at 72-04 Austin St. “I’m here six days a week and I have no trouble finding a parking spot.”

Xerakias, who said he parks along side streets or across Queens Boulevard, accused employees of nearby hair salons and banks of squatting in spaces that could be used by paying customers.

The vehicles of workers often take up nearly 15 spots near his business for eight hours a day, Xerakias estimated, and if the two-hour limit were enforced, that would equate to about 60 shoppers who could have used the spots.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm surprised that the normally thoughtful people in Forrest Hills would do this. Open the streets of the Garens for more parking, and let the 112 give more summonses. Problem solved.

Anonymous said...

Local and express trains, numerous bus lines and cabs and the LIRR, and people STILL drive to Austin Street??

Anonymous said...

Open up Forest Hills Gardens to Parking.

Unknown said...

thats the same problem everywhere. businesses need to stress to their employees how it hurts businesses and that it will eventually mean they don't have a job.

Anonymous said...

Raise the price of parking.

FlushingRepresenter said...

Triborough Rx

http://michaelminn.net/newyork/infrastructure/circumferential_subway/

GO!

Anonymous said...

Keep the riff-raff out of Forest Hills and you'll have more parking spaces. Problem solved.

Anonymous said...

start slashing tires. The problem will solve itself.

Meli said...

Forest Hills has had parking issues for years now. When we go there - we always park on the south side, behind the private gates and we walk.

People who go to Austin Street, go there bc it's a good time. This parking issue is nothing new. Perhaps no one goes to Austin Diner, bc of the several chic options/competition around him. Jade, Moca, Aged, Ripe Bar to name a few.

It just seems like a weak excuse. Austin Diner is losing customers and he should find a way to innovate & save his business rather than complain.

Anonymous said...

You know...when you start slashing tires....you start discouraging all users to park.

Not only that, but you give the impression of a crummy neighborhood and unsafe place to be.

Slashing tires would cause a problem...