$32 to park at work - comparisons please

[Joe Linn]

My employer (the state of Minnesota) has raised the monthly fee they charge me for parking my Segway at work to $32. I believe that is exhorbitant and am trying to make a case to have it lowered. I'd really appreciate any posts from others about what they pay to park at work, or if it is free. I'm hoping that if I can put together a comparison to what other people are paying, I'll be able to convince them to lower the fee.

There is bike parking right next to where I park my Segway. I asked one of the cyclists what they pay for parking and he told me that it is free.

It is ironic, the state agressively promotes alternative transportation then tries to discourage it by charging that kind of fees.

Please help with any comparisons.

Thanks!

Joe

[KSagal]

What is their justification? Do you have a specific assigned space? Do you plug in? Is it heated or secured only to you?

Also, you compared it to the nearby bike rack, which is great. Are they charging you the same as a car? If so, can you consume a car parking space?

I find this facinating. It never occured to me that a state would charge for segways to park, much like it would never get away with the same for bikes.

Good luck with your battle.

Karl Ian Sagal

Each road you travel should be just a bit better for having had you pass.

[hhaurgon]

I hope for that price that your Segway is charged and washed when you pick it up. That is outragous. I don't ride my machine to work, but if I did, parking would be free.

Fight the man!

Hugh

[KSagal]

Wow,

Hugh and I are on the same side of this one!

Hold on everyone. It's going to be a bumpy ride!!!

Yuk, Yuk


Karl Ian Sagal

Each road you travel should be just a bit better for having had you pass.

[MagiMike]

Parking and a plug to recharge are provided free by my employer.

[macgeek]

Maybe Im a NYer and maybe Im jaded, but $1.00 a day to park your segway is NOT the end of the world, how much would it cost to park a car for the day? in NY its $40

Jonathan

Segway - "Let's Roll"
Centaur - "Lets Roll on all fours"
www.segwaygeek.com

[hhaurgon]

quote:Originally posted by KSagal

Wow,

Hugh and I are on the same side of this one!

Hold on everyone. It's going to be a bumpy ride!!!

Yuk, Yuk


Karl Ian Sagal

Each road you travel should be just a bit better for having had you pass.


Take my hand....Cum-by-ya.... Hey, stop blowing in my ear.

Hugh

[woodenapple]

I cannot imagine having to pay for Segway parking! I work for the State of Florida; more specifically, the Florida Legislature, and I park next to my desk and plug in for free.

I also have a parking space for my car in the basement of my building, but I haven't used it since I got my Segway over a year ago. I let a co-worker use it now. I was on the waiting list for 5 years before I got a parking spot in the basement, but now it only costs $6.00 per month.

People here in Tallahassee complain about traffic and parking, but they just don't realize how good we have it!

Rodney

May all your days be Segway days!

[woodenapple]

It is nice to see Hugh and Karl agree about something. There must have been quite a rare convergence of astronomical bodies to make that possible! :)

Rodney

May all your days be Segway days!

[GyroGo]

I can feel the love [^]

[Joe Linn]

Thanks everyone!

The spot is in a heated garage near an outlet so I can plug in the Segway. It is an area behind a pilar that was wasted space before, since it is too small for a car. I believe cars pay about $70 to park in the same garage. It is chepear to park a car in a surface lot that it is for my Segway. It was when I found out that the bikes right next to me park free that I decided to look into those rates.

Thanks again

Joe

[hhaurgon]

quote:Originally posted by woodenapple

It is nice to see Hugh and Karl agree about something. There must have been quite a rare convergence of astronomical bodies to make that possible! :)

Rodney

May all your days be Segway days!


The first time I read that, I swear I thought it said "anatomical" - which would have been even funnier.

Hugh

[GyroGo]

quote:Originally posted by hhaurgon

I thought it said "anatomical"


I wasn't thinking THAT kind of love.

[SegwayUtah]

Parking: free; electricity: free

Then again, all parking is usually free around here -- and I'm saving companies money by _not_ taking up their expensive parking spaces.

Chris

[Segway City]

Most likely there is a public document that defines the types and specifies the costs associated with the items parked in their lot, demand a copy. Challenging the charge based upon their definition of a Segway under that contract would seem to be the way to go. A possible backlash could be that the bicyclists could lose their free space or that they could be similarly charged.

[KSagal]

I simply said that I thought the charges stated in the title of this thread seemed excessive.

Then Hugh said a similar thing.

I tried to be civil.

I do not appreciate the sexual abuse. If I were a woman and Hugh were abusing me the way he has, the webmasters would step in. I request the same consideration.

Hugh, do not hit on me again. I do not appreciate your advances. You really do not want to meet this conservative man in person. It will not be pretty, because I will hold you accountable to your statements.

Karl Ian Sagal

Each road you travel should be just a bit better for having had you pass.

[god1138]

I work for Harris County (Houston) and they don't charge me a cent -- TO PARK IT UNDER MY DESK and plug right in!

$32 monthly? That's LUDICROUS. I'd file a grievance, follow it up the ladder, and then make them shove that $32 up their.... um, earhole.

In government employment, you DO have lines of recourse and if I were in your shoes, I'd be hopping mad and get all 'activist-like' on them.

Sorry to hear about it... that's a true shame!


-Robert O'Sullivan
Owner of the World's First Segway Tattoo!

[hhaurgon]

quote:Originally posted by KSagal

I simply said that I thought the charges stated in the title of this thread seemed excessive.

Then Hugh said a similar thing.

I tried to be civil.

I do not appreciate the sexual abuse. If I were a woman and Hugh were abusing me the way he has, the webmasters would step in. I request the same consideration.

Hugh, do not hit on me again. I do not appreciate your advances. You really do not want to meet this conservative man in person. It will not be pretty, because I will hold you accountable to your statements.

Karl Ian Sagal

Each road you travel should be just a bit better for having had you pass.

You're kidding, right? If not...wow. Because, I certainly am.

Get a grip.

Hugh

[SegwayUtah]

Hugh, I think we understand that you're teasing. But it's a kind of teasing that most people don't understand, so it doesn't come across too well. In fact, it comes across as degrading and insulting -- which is quite possibly not how you intended it.

Just 2 cents. I really like teasing, and I really like funny -- let's try to all think about how what we say comes across. I know I put my foot in my mouth often. :)

[not a moderator, but found the hat]

Chris

[GyroGo]

quote:Originally posted by SegwayUtah

not a moderator, but found the hat

[takes hat from SegwayUtah]

I enjoy reading posts from both Hugh and Karl, but their level of tension with each other has become rather disturbing.

I have to think that Karl understands that Hugh is not really "hitting" on him and making "advances". And I hope to think Karl's aggressive posture is his form of misunderstood teasing, not actual threats.

In any case, gentlemen, I suggest it would serve everyone well to please take it down a notch.

[macgeek]

COMON GUYS, HUGH WAS KIDDING. oops sorry didn't mean to shout.
Why do we take EVERYTHING SO SERIOUSLY???
(there now I am shouting)

Lighten up, Ok?, Please?

Jonathan

Segway - "Let's Roll"
Centaur - "Lets Roll on all fours"
www.segwaygeek.com

[Sal]

Hmmm, I hope we're not seeing the birth of some kind of HT Discussion Board-Rage which will transform itslef into HT Sidewalk Rage! LOL (I'm kidding guys!)

-Sal

Think Different
www.apple.com

[hhaurgon]

I have really been trying to lighten things up a little between me and the K-man, but I guess some people don't read it that way. If I have offended anyone with my comments, I sincerely apologize. I definitely don't want Karl gliding all the way down to Youngstown just to take a swing at me, although that would be entertaining. I guess I'll go back to making up random rumors to get people fired.

I mispoke earlier - my Segway...completes...me.

Hugh

[Sal]

Through thick and thin, we all share a common bond --> our passion for the Segway. We can disagree, and spat, that's fine. People will be offended (I know I have offended some, and will continue to offend others with my opinions). Ya can't please all of the people all of the time.

Our differing opinions, personalities, idiosyncracies, with the underlying respect for one another (hopefully), is what makes this community different from all the other flame-war-ridden online communities.

I am proud to be a member of SegwayChat, and I am proud to call the other members of this community my "virtual" friends, and lucky to have some as real-world friends as well.

***

IMHO: let's keep this community as open as possible. Yes, we risk offending people, but free speech is something that we shouldn't take for granted, and we should exercise it. Those that are offended will speak up and let their feelings be known too, that's fine.

As long as we are conscious to not let the postings deterioriate to flame wars and personal attacks, I think anything Segway/DEKA/etc related is fair game for discussion.

***

Lastly, we all have different senses of humor. Let's keep that in mind when reading and responding to posts. I know I have been guilty of misinterpretation -- and then flying off the handle at times.

-Sal

Think Different
www.apple.com

[GyroGo]

quote:Originally posted by salkulkarni

Lastly, we all have different senses of humor. Let's keep that in mind when reading and responding to posts. I know I have been guilty of misinterpretation -- and then flying off the handle at times.

It also should be kept in mind that what may be understood as humor with the aid of voice tone, inflection, facial expression, etc, may be misinterpreted in the dry word alone.

[Burke]

Getting back to the topic...

I work for the County of Orange. When my Segway is here, it's plugged in within my cubicle and I don't pay a cent for it. I, too, am freeing up a parking space in the basement that would also be free.

When the O.C. Register did a nice article about me and Dick and mentioned me riding it to work, sure enough, some jerk wrote in to the paper and made an issue of my letting the County pay for the electricity. He (Mr. Craig Van Doren of Dove Canyon) is obviously unaware that indeed a lot of government agencies and schools will PAY their people handsomely to use alternate transportation, because they are under the gun to reduce trips because of the smog situation. If you work at Cal State Fullerton, you can practically take the train in FREE if you live out in Riverside--a $100 a month subsidy. Government subsidies of alternate transportation are nothing new. I was somewhat hurt that this guy would try to make an issue of it, because I am the one who turns off the copier at night, uses up old paper for scratch paper and reuses anything else I can, like folders, in an effort to save money. I opted not add fuel to the fire by responding, and the issue never came up again.

I showed my boss the letter to the editor and told her if the County wanted their seven cents a day, I'd pay it, but she blew it off and obviously wasn't worried about it.

So bottom line, $32 a month is RIDICULOUS!!

Janice

[woodenapple]

quote:...sure enough, some jerk wrote in to the paper and made an issue of my letting the County pay for the electricity... I opted not to add fuel to the fire by responding, and the issue never came up again...
Janice - I commend you for your restraint. It is very hard to stop yourself from responding in such situations. I often have to fight the urge to put in my 2 cents worth when things get testy here on SegwayChat.

Very similar to not feeding the trolls.

Rodney

May all your days be Segway days!