Sailors Can't find Parking Spaces

[IN HOC SIGNO]

I have called the Coxswain and the RPO at Nelles block sir a few times. No real response from them other then they replied Pte or Cpl, and I corrected them to Gunner or Bombardier.
I even parked in the RPO's spot during non reserved hours only to be threatend that he would have the DND vehicle I drove towed and me charged. 
I was literally dragged out of the shower by the MP's.

Only to throw on my Cbt pants t shirt and flip flops to walk out and show them that I still 1/2 hr left before the reserved time came into effect. The RPO was fuming now as I was out of unifrom, parked in his 1/2 hour till reserved spot and I was correct.

I think the Navy going to Cbts as shore dress is appropriate. The more hostile our enviroment becomes the more we need to be able to draw on the availiable manpower with in a moments notice.
When the ships are tied up along side some foreign port and the scneario goes some thing to the way side and we need a fast response team, the Navy could possibly deploy a limited amount of Sailors to secure ground and or them selves. To have them outfitted in a Cbt style uniform may be telling us something of what the future may lay ahead for them.

JSS, amphibous ships........

While I realize that all of this is said pretty much tongue in cheek it's just scary to contemplate sailors with loaded weapons being told to secure ground!
I'm surprised that the RPOs parking space has time limits...at Stad all Reserved Spots for senior appointments are reserved 24/7....your vehicle would have been towed here.
Just out of curiosty...would you have parked in the Base RSMs spot in Gagetown or Petawawa even if it was under the same circumstances?

 

[Springroll]

at Stad all Reserved Spots for senior appointments are reserved 24/7....your vehicle would have been towed here.

Interesting story to go with this quote:

We accidentally parked in the base chief surgeon's spot one day when I had to take hubby in to the ER.
While there, we were told by the ER doc to get our arses into the base taxi and head to the neurosurgery dept at the QE2.
Got back 5 hours later and was told about my screw up(I was the driver) by the ER nurse. We were not towed(thankfully) because the ER nurse let him know about the situation at the time. We were advised that if we had not had special circumstances we would have come back to no van at all.

There was no special designation on the parking spot though....so I am not sure how you are supposed to know what spot belongs to whom.

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

Interesting story to go with this quote:

We accidentally parked in the base chief surgeon's spot one day when I had to take hubby in to the ER.
While there, we were told by the ER doc to get our arses into the base taxi and head to the neurosurgery dept at the QE2.
Got back 5 hours later and was told about my screw up(I was the driver) by the ER nurse. We were not towed(thankfully) because the ER nurse let him know about the situation at the time. We were advised that if we had not had special circumstances we would have come back to no van at all.

There was no special designation on the parking spot though....so I am not sure how you are supposed to know what spot belongs to whom.

That's interesting cause most of them are marked. I had a guest one day who parked in a restricted spot and he was towed and had to pay $179 to get his car back. Parking is a real hassle in Stad and even more so in the Dockyard. The idea with senior appointments reserved parking is that many are in at odd hours to catch up on paperwork or attend functions or other matters....I know I am and I often see other appointments in on weekends and silent hours....I am often there on Sundays...go figure...and to meet with folks after hours.
I'm glad that Nurse was quick to keep your car from towing...Those who are in to go to the gym can surely find spots other than the RPO or other appointees parking space.

 

[Springroll]

I'm glad that Nurse was quick to keep your car from towing...Those who are in to go to the gym can surely find spots other than the RPO or other appointees parking space.

We were glad too....good thing I signed hubby into the log book...that is what saved our butts.
I do agree with you on the gym thing. It is probably easier to just park along the main drag and walk onto the base and to the gym, rather than try to find parking anywhere on there. It's tough enough trying to find parking in the hospital parking lot when quite a few hospital employees are parked in them(in patient parking that is).

and to bring this back onto topic, hubby and I kind of like that pic of the blue cadpat...hehehe

 

[George Wallace]

Looks to me like there is not the same set of Rules regarding Parking in place at Stadaconna.  We have had directives come down from NDHQ limiting the number of Parking Spaces that a Unit can 'Sign'.  In most cases it boils down to CO's and their RSM's, OC's and their Sgt Major's.  Apparently there is a certain percentage of parking that is allowed to be signed and the rest must be 'free', to accomondate Civilian visitors and the Handicapped.  This is something that the MPs should be able to set straight, and then again, it looks like there is also a lot of 'abuse' of the system being done there in Halifax. 

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

Looks to me like there is not the same set of Rules regarding Parking in place at Stadaconna.  We have had directives come down from NDHQ limiting the number of Parking Spaces that a Unit can 'Sign'.  In most cases it boils down to CO's and their RSM's, OC's and their Sgt Major's.  Apparently there is a certain percentage of parking that is allowed to be signed and the rest must be 'free', to accomondate Civilian visitors and the Handicapped.  This is something that the MPs should be able to set straight, and then again, it looks like there is also a lot of 'abuse' of the system being done there in Halifax. 

The problem is that there is so little of it. Stad and the Dockyard are built in the middle of a city. It's not like an Army Base where the Base is spread out with lots of places to put in parking...like Gagetown. Another problem is that we don't have a Q patch right handy where those folks just walk or bike in. You need 13 years seniority at Stad to get a space in Dockyard or an appointment that requires that you be instantly mobile like a Chaplain or a Medic etc. They started General Parking on the Parade Square about 10 years ago that gave a lot us old timers a major heart attack...but it's still bad. They should have spent some money on parking garages both at Stad and at the Dockyard and in fact Irving offered to build one at Dockyard a few years ago if the Base would allow a retail gas outlet...It didn't fly.
They have a parking committee here which the MPs have input into and there are only so many spaces for units...there just isn't a lot of spaces period.
Last time I talked to the B Comd about parking issues he was saying that Treasury Board is thinking about making parking a taxable benefit. Another wonderful morale builder...right up there with making the cooks lunch's a taxable benefit...which they instituted about 4 years ago.

 

[George Wallace]

I'm sure that a regular Bus Run would be an idea.  Probably was an option in the past, and cut during fiscal restraints in the '70's or 80's.

 

[Sub_Guy]

See here I was thinking that the main parking area for dockyard is owned by the city of Halifax, and they let the Navy use it.  I heard the Irving story before, and it makes no sense at all, considering Petawawa had a retail gas outlet for a while (don't know if the shell is still there).

 

[CallOfDuty]

  Yes parking sucks at Stad.........when I do bring my car I have to park outside the base on the side streets.  Thank goodness the police don't give tickets in the 1 or 2 hour parking, even if you are there all day!  I love driving to work , as I can be there in 15 or 20 minutes (as compared to 1 hour on the metro transit!), but if you park on the streets, the crack-heads have a bad habit of breaking into cars. :threat:
  Uuggh

 

[Springroll]

  Yes parking sucks at Stad.........when I do bring my car I have to park outside the base on the side streets.  Thank goodness the police don't give tickets in the 1 or 2 hour parking, even if you are there all day!  I love driving to work , as I can be there in 15 or 20 minutes (as compared to 1 hour on the metro transit!), but if you park on the streets, the crack-heads have a bad habit of breaking into cars. :threat:
  Uuggh

Hubby starts taking the bus again on monday.
He actually prefers it over having to deal with idiotic drivers during rush hour, and it is cheaper than gas and insurance and toll.
Trying to find a parking spot on base, near the hospital is near impossible though.
Wish they would fix that for thsoe that require post op care.

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

See here I was thinking that the main parking area for dockyard is owned by the city of Halifax, and they let the Navy use it.  I heard the Irving story before, and it makes no sense at all, considering Petawawa had a retail gas outlet for a while (don't know if the shell is still there).

No the parking down there belongs to us. There used to be Shell gas outlets on all the bases. When I joined I got myself a Shell credit card (my first credit card he he) cause I thought where ever I go in the system I can use this on Base.I think they had an agreement with Canex.
Now that they are freeing up money for Messes and institutions it would be nice if they'd re visit the idea of building parkades down in Dockyard and Stad. They just completed some General Parking where the old Chuffs and Puffs Mess used to be but it's only 250 spots and they've been gobbled up already....only a portion of it is general non reserved parking.

 

[super26]

Even to get a parking pass for Stad or Dockyard you got to have 15 years in and than even with a pass you have to get there between 6:30 and 7:00 to get a spot!!

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

Even to get a parking pass for Stad or Dockyard you got to have 15 years in and than even with a pass you have to get there between 6:30 and 7:00 to get a spot!!

Yep it's a real drag for a lot of folks. I heard there was an accident under the bridge at quiting time tonight. I hate that exit...I come out the back gate of Stad and try to turn left on Barrington. A lot of the traffic coming up from the dockyard turn wide into the outside lane and cut you off if you're trying to turn left up Barrington...a few folks need rules of the road refreshers it would seem...."turn into the lane closest to the right hand side of the road on a right turn!"

 

[Sub_Guy]

Rules of the road don't apply in victoria!  They always turn into the furthest lane, and slower traffic keep left applies here!  But we have plenty of parking here in esq to go around.

Here is what bothers me about Halifax.  While I was there on my sub training, the fleet was pretty much all out doing some exercise, and the parking lot was rather empty (for halifax) there were always spots near the tunnel.  So people without passes would park there, and yet they would still get towed.  I know they were in the wrong, but they were empty and it was in the afternoon!

The parking problem in Halifax was one of the reasons for me ditching my snow shovel and heading out west.

 

[childs56]

Just to answer the question, would I have parked in the RSM's spot under the same circumstances,  YES.

 

[Phrontis]

Parking is one of those really emotive issues which get under peoples' skin.  Surely a parkade on either coast is the answer: relatively cheap to build and maintain, but a huge satisfier.

 

[childs56]

I have a friend whom parked in a spot that said Reserved 24 hrs. When the MP asked him why he was parked in a Reserved parking spot he replied I am a Reservist.

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

I have a friend whom parked in a spot that said Reserved 24 hrs. When the MP asked him why he was parked in a Reserved parking spot he replied I am a Reservist.

.....and the MP said???

 

[17thRecceSgt]

Parking on Stad is not so bad...if you drive a scooter  ;D

I get to enjoy it all again....I am going to be living-in again (Wellington House) when HLs takes off to IAP in 2 weeks. 

However, parking is GREAT at 0600 when I can get out of bed that early for morning PT...or at 1700 for evening PT.

 

[Strike]

Devil's advocate here...

I can understand being all pent up about the lack of parking when the only way to get to work is to drive.  But Halifax, of all places, has a half decent transit system.  Sure, it might take longer to get to and from, but it's good enough for everyone else.  Now, if you have to get back and forth from Stad/Dockyard to Shearwater, fine, drive to work.  If it's only between Stad and the dockyard, get off your behind and walk.

Awaiting the returning volleys...