NO PARKING ! ( But it's good for business )

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Here we are in defiance of a uniform traffic control device on Hwy. 261 in Sumter County, SC. We left the engine running during the taking of this photo in case the owners stepped out to confront us. We admit to a certain level of arrogance in blocking the entrance to this business, but we wanted to make a point.

Recently some character set up tables in a metered parking space on Charleston's very busy King Street according to the (Charleston) POST-COURIER. The character put some coins in the meter and settled in with fellow characters to have a meal and celebrate themselves and their neat little blow against the Empire. The characters were in due course and much to their delight were given a parking violation citation because they were illegally blocking a parking space.

The cited violators proclaimed that their cause was to have more outdoor dining on King Street and less vehicle parking. To King Street merchants this must have been as welcome a prospect as an abscessed tooth on Christmas Day and as logical as airlifting gasoline to a forest fire. It was reported that one college hangout had welcomed this frolic. Indeed, there are a few college joints along the street which are in easy walking distance to the College of Charleston which don't depend on parking and would welcome increased table space and thus increased revenues.

We're not certain whether this prank has some underlying commercial motive. That is, we wonder whether the pranksters have a vested interest in removing parking from the street of if this might simply be the result of a runaway ego. Whatever the case may be, we'd suggest that they have a look at the photo above to get an idea of how eliminating parking can be helpful to business.