As reported today by Leah Garchik in the Chronicle, the new CVS Pharmacy and Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market that opens next week is making their parking lot extra friendly for some customers.
In the lower lot on the 32nd Avenue side, there are four spaces designated especially for hybrid car drivers and adults with children. There are two spaces for each, marked with signs and a stencil in the space itself.
I didn’t make my way to the upper lot (you enter from Clement Street), so there may very well be more designated spaces up there.
The two businesses will open their doors next Wednesday, June 22. CVS will occupy half of the interior space, with Fresh & Easy on the other side.
But don’t worry – the green-minded and kid-toting crowd aren’t taking over the parking lot. There’s plenty of parking for regular shoppers too.
Plus we won’t be seeing Fresh & Easy carts all over the neighborhood. There are sensors on the carts that prevent them from leaving the parking lot.
Sarah B.
That’s absurd. How elitist.
As if people with hybrids and kids can’t walk a few extra (s)paces. Good luck enforcing that one.
I checked out their store in Pacifica over the weekend since I was down that way.
I’m excited to shop at the new location. Basically, it’s a cross between TJoes and Safeway, but green inside, and you check yourself out. No big whoop.
I don’t know that we need to give Prius owners another reason to be more smug than they already are, but making life a little easier for parents is commendable, and that’s from a single guy with no kids.
Hopefully this is so they’ll feel comfortable leaving their kids in the car.
I’m mostly excited to have a grocery store with parking near my house (25th Ave) again. Safeway on 7th has terrible parking, and Safeway at the ocean is … at the ocean. If i had a hybrid, i would totally park in those spots though.
I’m disappointed in your compassion and empathy, AmericanThighs. I have no children myself, but I APPLAUD anyone who does anything to make life easier for people trying to shop with small children. It seems to me that increasingly, San Francisco caters to people who are between 18 and 30 (35)? I would like to see people be much more conscious about ensuring that our city works for residents who are of all ages — including children, parents with young children and seniors. I’m 54, but I can run or walk the half a mile down to Geary, buy groceries and be back home before a mother with an infant and a 2-year old can even get the kids’ shoes on, get downstairs, and get them buckled in their carseats and get the car out of the garage.
Good to know two of the most obnoxious segments of society are being encouraged.
I dont have kids, but I dont mind the idea of having a designated parking spot for familys that have little children. I am just suprised their arn`t as popular as handicap spaces becuse they are much more needed, little ones are not very aware and sometimes run in parking lots which is scary because they can get hit by a car so the closer to the entrance the better. Now the hybrid idea is bs, everyone pays into the dmv so everyone should be treated equal, I dont drive these cheap little tin cans that are made in china and ruin this countrys econemy, I drive a AMERICAN chevy and I should not be punished for that I should and others be praised! Either way I will still park in the space.
Dear Tyler,
I don’t think people with kids count as part of “the most obnoxious segments of society”. That’s really unfair. You’re being obnoxious. Weren’t you once a kid? (For the record, I don’t have kids and do not drive a hybrid, but am still okay with having designated parking spaces. Big deal.)
@ Westender- good observation. I for one am not happy there is not designated parking for people with pet vicuna’s or undertakers hihi. Perhaps a generic write in sign so that anyone who feels they deserve special treatment can just write their own sign. @ Joshua- yes buy and drive American PLEASE someone buy SOMETHING American. Oh wait this is a British chain. Sheesh
@David H – just use this website to support American businesses!
Our very own Sarah B runs the website and the following companies supply something related to what I can see on this page:
WordPress
Google
Yahoo
All local Bay Area firms, one of which (Google) is one of the largest companies in the world (and bringing back BILLIONS and BILLIONS in overseas profits and employing hundreds or maybe even thousands of San Franciscans). Yahoo’s exports in the billions too, with several billion coming back to the US each year.
I think with the plethora of hybrids on the road, and the rise in obesity in the US, that special privileges should be given to electric cars and handicap only.
At the risk of sounding super-elitist…is there any bicycle parking?
@joshua,
By “cheap little tin cans” if you’re referring to Prius, it is manufactured in Japan and not China. Pickup a map, and you’ll see the difference. While you’re at it, please do pickup a dictionary for help with your spellings. And since when are hybrids “cheap” ??Btw your ” AMERICAN chevy” might have been manufactured in Mexico 🙂
Frankly, I do find special parking to be meritless. People make their own choices and do not need to be encouraged in their choices (whether that be having children or buying a hybrid etc) by inconsequential things like a closer parking space. That said, if that’s what these stores want to do, then so be it. When I drive to a store, I always go to the furthest section of the lot because a) it saves stress in competing for the closest spot and b) it can be good exercise. What really drives me crazy is people who clog up access to the whole lot because they are bound and determined to get the closest space. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve zipped to the back of a parking lot and gotten into the store while someone who was in front of me is still driving around looking for a closer space or sitting there waiting for someone to pull out of a spot. Life is too short to stress out about who gets to park where and who gets the closest spot!
Well said, Seth!
i have two small children and think designated children with adults parking spaces is absurd.
for me, i’m just glad a new business – fresh and easy plus CVS – are both coming into the area and i will support them with my money – but i hope they will be good neighbors and will give back to our community as well. the parking spaces are a bit ridiculous but i am THRILLED to not have to walk past that empty lot anymore.
This reminds me of those “baby on board” signs people stick on their minivans, and yes, that is incredibly obnoxious.
Fresh & Easy puts the hybrid and with kids parking spots in the parking lots of all its storess. There’s nothing special about it at the 32nd-Clement location. CVS doesn’t use preferred parking signs. But since it shares the parking lot wth Fresh & Easy that’s why people assume it’s something the did jointly. All the other Fresh & Easy stores opened so far in the Bay Area have the same preferred parking spots.
The idea of having a reserved parking space just based on the car you drive is absurd, I guess people that drive expensive cars or green-colored cars should have a space too! You see what I am saying, it is a stupid idea. How will they even enforce it? Are they going to tow your non-green car if you park there even though you are giving them bussness? The whole thing makes no sense.
very nice idea. I love it
Parent parking is a great idea, getting kids in and out of cars takes space and time. It reduces the stress for parents to be hurried and speeds up parking for others. Also reduces door dings by kids flinging car doors open.
Hybrid parking not so great.
Hope they have dedicated bike parking as well.
I think the only preferential parking spaces should be for handicap. True, it’s hard work being a parent, dealing with your kids, but that was your choice. No one inflicted your children upon you, and you shouldn’t feel entitled to good parking spaces because you chose to have a child. This is not unique to this store, or the bay area, I’ve seen it all over the country (quite popular in the DC area).
I’m not losing sleep over this, but I think it’s a bit ridiculous to give one segment of the population special treatment because of this life choice. The same applies to getting a tax break for having kids, getting on an airplane first because you had kids, or any other entitlement you think you deserve because you made that choice.
I have been a fan of this store all along and posted positive remarks about all along. I am glad to see it was so well received after all the controversy.
I enjoy parking my Suburban in those spots every time I shop there…….lol