Few things are worth moving my car for

Having a car in San Francisco can be a great advantage, but can sometimes also be a pain in the ass. For every time I am grateful for not having to carry 10-pounds of groceries home, there are three where I curse the day street cleaning was invented. My neighborhood parking is very hit or miss. If I get home before 5:30pm on a weekday, I can usually always grab a spot. If not, it can be impossible to find anywhere to park within a mile radius.

Therefore, I have to weigh the pros and cons of an activity to see whether I want to move my car and risk not having a spot when I return. This deliberation gets especially difficult when a grab a spot either a) right in front of my apartment or b) right after street cleaning has ended guaranteeing me a week where I don’t have to move my car. These factors have led me to be very strategic with the use of my car.

Grocery shopping can only occur on weekdays if it’s right after the work day. If I leave on time and rush home I can typically grab my car in time to make the trip and return to ample parking. If I get home at or after 6:00pm, a trip to the grocery store is completely out of the question. Any social activities are accessed only by the use of public transportation, even if the location has a parking lot.

The days of the week that I will go visit my parents is also subject to this same debate. I have gone home for dinner on weekdays just to return around 10:30pm to no parking. After driving around for 30-minutes I usually end up parking in a questionable spot and have to wake up at 6:00am to move it before anyone can call a tow truck. It’s just not worth it. Therefore, family visits now only occur on the weekends.

So if you need help moving or a ride to the airport, I’d be happy to help. And by that I mean never on weekdays after 6:30pm.