The doormen at a posh Park Slope building are running a “Seinfeld”-style parking spot-saving scheme that has triggered mini-war between drivers hunting for spaces, neighbors say.
Residents at 27 Prospect Park West pay their doormen to park their cars on street cleaning days — but the doormen intentionally create un-parkable “half spaces” on Montgomery Place to save spots for other tenants’s vehicles, homeowners on the block allege.
“I don’t want to sound petty — but I can’t take it anymore,” said neighbor Maura Collins, who is often forced to park around the corner, or further, when alternate side parking hours end. “It’s just so galling.”
Angry Park Slope motorists claim the “parking ring” operates on Monday and Tuesday mornings after street cleaning ends on Montgomery Place at around 10:30 am.
A doorman at 27 Prospect Park West allegedly leaves gaps of wasted curb space in front and behind each vehicle he parks — keeping other drivers from getting a spot on their block. When it comes time to park another car, the doorman simply moves the first car forward — creating a parking spot where none existed before.
Neighbors are so fed up that the Montgomery Place Block Association even put the problem on its September meeting agenda.
Other residents have gone to greater lengths to stop an alleged parking scheme not unlike one hatched by “Seinfeld” character George Costanza in an episode fittingly titled “The Alternate Side.”
Collins claims she has confronted the doormen, snapped photographic evidence and even called the cops, to no avail.
A doorman at 27 Prospect Park West said that his colleague George (though, not Costanza) is in charge of parking operations on Tuesday mornings.
George refused to discuss allegations of spot-saving earlier this week.
“I don’t know what they’re talking about,” he said. “I have no comments on your issue.”
Residents of the building did not confirm the existence of the alleged parking ring.
But drivers say something must give.
“It’s frustrating,” said Micheal, a resident and merchant, who asked that his last name be withheld because he didn’t want to make his neighbors at 27 Prospect Park West mad.
He said parking — and spot-saving — became so problematic that he finally broke down and bought a private spot nearby.
“What can you do?” he said. “There’s really no law against it.”
Indeed, a police spokeswoman said cops — and traffic agents — can do nothing to stop the space-saving agreement.
“It’s not criminal,” said Detective Cheryl Crispin. “But it’s certainly not very neighborly.”
Reach reporter Natalie O'Neill at noneill@cnglocal.com or by calling her at (718) 260-4505.
