My car with a ticket while parking in Galveston.

Regular readers know that I have been very kind to Galveston. My posts such as Gung Ho on Galveston or Chasing Ghosts at Hotel Galvez are two examples; type Galveston into TroysArt Search and the plethora of posts pop up. But the recent occurrence of getting a parking ticket has me flummoxed. There are problems with parking in Galveston.

We all know that the recent parking situation on the Seawall is ridiculous. In 2012 Galveston instituted a pay-by-phone system and on several occasions it has taken me up to twenty minutes trying to register my car by phone in order, for example, to patronize Jimmy’s on the Pier. Jimmy’s is a cute lunch spot with fried jalapenos, burgers, a full bar, and a great view over the water—but we often rule it out simply because of the difficulty of paying by phone. And we found that we share this chagrin with other patrons who simply want to park and eat. I have never heard positive feedback from anyone, especially visitors, about the pay-by-phone system.

An often difficult to use pay-by-phone system regulates parking on Galveston’s Seawall.

A few years ago after dinner and too much alcohol at Treemont House I left my car parked on a street near the hotel. The next morning it was gone. Dealing with the rudest imaginable people at the tow yard and $280 cash later I got my car back but accepted my error along with the inconvenience. It was an expensive evening. That said, I come to the present…

I have not kept a place on the island in a decade so I enjoy Hotel Galvez or, when invited, spend periods of time with a friend who keeps a pied-a-terre where the business district morphs into residential. Galveston is a layered community often with residential property in proximity to commercial. And like many residences in Galveston, including my aforementioned property, there is no off-street parking. So, as usual, I parked my car directly in front of my friend’s place.

I awoke after a lovely evening of fine dining and cocktails and took a stroll downtown, had coffee, visited another establishment for breakfast, bought an oil painting, and bought some antique jewelry. When I returned to get my car for lunch I had the ticket. “You have been charged with a violation…”  I had not been ticketed while visiting his place before and upon closer inspection the parking signs read that a car must change blocks every two hours. Why would I want to park blocks away from where I am lodging—that would not only be inconvenient but also asking for crime—or worry about changing blocks every two hours?

I can see how abandoning a car in the business district could be a problem, or parking during events like Dickens, Art Walk, or Mardi Gras. But there is no realistic option while visiting a resident on some blocks.

Shopping, dining, and fun in the sun was over. Those familiar with me know that Budweiser and Cheetos is not how I spend time on the island or spend money—I spend. And I am loath to spread hard-earned dollars where it is impossible to easily or safely park a car. I packed my belongings and went back to the city.

This kind of money grab is petty and egregious.

Business owners in Galveston should be concerned about the problems with parking in Galveston.

The pay-by-phone system is not available on the street where my car was ticketed.

Are not tourism dollars the driving force of the island? Or is Galveston parking now the cash cow? Let me emphasize, I do not expect an exception because I drive a Mercedes.   I would not mind paying to park on this section of road if there was a system in place to do so. And perhaps if there is renewed enforcement of the street ordinances a warning might be more appropriate, which would still leave me wondering what to do with my car while visiting.

I reached out to both Mayor Jim Yarbrough and the Convention & Visitors Bureau inquiring as to where the city recommends residential visitors park during the day? But I had no response from either office.

I have a friend with a loft on The Stand.  He admits to using a handicap parking tag so that his guests are not forced to park four blocks away.  I think that when residents resort to such measures it is more evident that parking in Galveston is extremely difficult.  And it should not be that hard.

Perhaps a few strategically placed kiosks around the island could provide visitors with a daily parking pass to place on the dashboard.  I do not know what the answer is, but trying to fatten city coffers by ticketing visitors is unfortunate.

In 2001 millionaire Robert Durst killed his neighbor, hacked up the body, and dumped the parts in Galveston Bay—he got off without even a littering ticket. I parked my car in front of a friend’s home and was slapped with a fine. My advice to the city council, stretch your $30 windfall wisely because I am cutting back on the number of trips I make to the island to empty my pockets.