Parking __ Spaces

[killerbee20]

Jul 20, 2009 18:38:55 GMT -5 danomt said:

Only had three guys not report in so their spots could be reissued. There was racers who would have likes a better spot. Also there is a list of people who want a spot. Dano

I suppose it's good that something as minor and unimportant as this, seems to be something that needs to be worked over and additionally managed. It means everything else is right on target, and this is all we have left to worry about.

3 spots out of 15 or 20? Sounds very successful with about a 85-90% fill rate. Those people paid though... right? So it was a 100% sell out, all paid. I guess I'm not understanding the problem.

If they would like a better spot, they should put up their money and rent one. If they don't want to rent a spot... why should you care?

Just to play "business analyst" for a second here.

The "spot" rent isn't a day by day deal, isn't it paid for by the year? Why is it necessary to keep an eye on 12 feet of rented real estate to "potentially" give somebody else, that's NOT interested in renting a spot at the track? What is that encouraging?

If you want to add credibility to the spot rent system, you can't give away the one or two empty spots that were rented If the occupant can't make it. As long as he paid, there is no situation. Should he make it, he has a spot. That's why you pay for a spot.

ALSO, if you give a rented spot away first thing in the day, it would go to a guy that would have been first in line just after the rented spots anyway... Seriously, that extra 90 feet is a deal breaker? Ask him if he'd be willing to spend another $50 to move 8 spots closer to the tower. Probably harder on a car to be that close. Never gets warm running down pit road. That also means the cars right behind the bleachers are revving their engines and making it miserable for the spectators who are really trying to enjoy the races. The guys further down are making the races more enjoyable for the spectators in the tower side bleachers. So we need them down there.

If you rent a hotel room and don't sleep in it... that's your business. If you buy box seats at Yankee Stadium and don't go, they don't fill it on your behalf. The seats are paid for, that's all that's important to the facility. and if you want a better seat, well, you should expect to pay for it. And if you don't use it, that's on you. And if you're not willing to pay, you have no right to talk about the empty seats.

And we really don't have any bad pit spaces, so it's not even necessary. But it helps raise a few extra bucks for the facility so I'm for it. It would appear my crew runs at the last minute... We're busy (as we all are), and are making the best of it. Plan on us as a late arrival. That's why I like the rented spot. Adds some "comfort" knowing we have a place to be when we get there. Not everybody can get down there on Friday for a weekend race. And for the privilege of having a reserved spot, used or unused, I am spending about $40-$50 a weekend, whether we show or not.

And Patch and I share equipment, so we really need to be side by side. We both don't need to pack jackstands and food and generators. We split the load on who brings what. Saves time and money. And, I might add, that it's pretty awkward to keep saying, "sorry man, I'm saving this spot for a buddy, he's got the generator and tools." This way, paid for. No drama. You want to be 90 feet closer to the tower? Rent a spot.

It would seem the courtesy we would be extending by letting non-renters have your spot would be to the people that don't want to rent a spot in the first place. Usually not the right target audience to keep money flowing to a facility.

If a closer spot is that important to them, then they should rent a spot. Or get there earlier next time.

To prove how unimportant it is to people that DON'T rent a spot, I will let the organization offer to anybody that comes through the gates to have my spot for $50 for the weekend (I'll pit in the Rhubarb.). PCMS can keep the funds. Make sure you tell them, "...You'll be 100 feet closer to the tower for that $50", and let me know how well that works out.

Here's what I'm feeling about it.

1) Courtesy aside, a spot is a spot, It was rented and paid for, assume it will have the occupant in it. if not, good for the strip, they got funds and no wear and tear. In our case, what it is, is good for the people on either side of us that get to encroach for the weekend.

2) You want a better spot next year? Get one next to us, odds favor you getting some free parking during the season.

3) If a person shows up late, shouldn't you expect to be in the rhubarb? Especially if you're not willing to rent a spot?

4) if you go to a high school event, have you ever not gone because of a parking spot?

The city of Glasgow doesn't let people stay in your home if you're gone for the weekend.

we must be gona have a hellva turn out. No one has called to say that they are not using their spaces. Remember that if you do not use your spot and do not tell us you get a mark against you for obtaining them again next year, I am keeping track as I have a few angry dudes for not getting a spot.... you don't use, you lose. DanO

Bob, it is past Wednesday, in fact thursday almost gone....

Let me get this straight. There were some angry dudes because they didn't get a spot to pit? Anywhere?

Even in a best case scenario, the first non-renter through the gates would only move up 4 trailers if he took our spot. He would either be the first guy right after the rented section or down a few spots in my rented spot. Those 4 additional lengths made racer(s) angry?

Tough crowd.

If you meant they are "angry" because we have to many people interested in renting and not enough spots that's a different issue. That means the spots are to cheap and the price for rent should be raised until we have the right amount of renters and spots. To many spots open, rent is to high. To many people left out and irritated, rent is to low. The idea is to raise funds for the facility. Nobody should have a problem with the price for rent if they realize the rationale.

Nobody should ever be irritated or angry if a renter doesn't show up. That would only happen if it wasn't properly explained to the irritated person that somebody else rents that spot, and that they are welcome to also rent a spot and have it reserved for them to the benefit of the facility.

[killerbee20]

Jul 13, 2009 12:25:22 GMT -5 danomt said:

Speaking of parking spaces, let me know if you are not coming so someone else can use them. It is embarrassing to chase every one out of them and then have ten spots empty. Common courtesy to let some one park in a good area if they are not being used,,,, DanO

Thought about it for a while. Now I'm up on the soap box. So please to forgive.

You mention "common courtesy" to give the spot away. Where's our common courtesy for paying for a spot in the first place?

What's embarrassing is you feeling it's important to keep track of paid for empty space. It's rented, the problem is over. To prove it has value, if the renter isn't there, it needs to stay empty. If somebody wants it, they should pay for it. That's the idea of renting and reserving a spot for yourself. You're trying to make life easier for yourself in some way, so you rent a spot. Ahhhhhh, my spot. ready to go when and if I get there.

Oh I forgot, you don't have anything running to race. Let me know if I can give your parking space away again...... DanO

I'm here to tell ya, I'm not going to be checking in with anybody on my reserved spot. and my build progress and parts shipments that may or may not break the weekend for me. I reserved a spot, paid for it, the check cleared, that's kind of the end of it as far as I'm concerned. I paid for a reserved spot (for this season) so I wouldn't have any drama and I wouldn't have to wear out any favors with the old line, "dude, hold me a spot". If I'm not in my reserved spot, that's my bad luck for wasting $50 bucks for it that weekend. Nobody should even notice that I'm not there. The "Time only" guys will know I'm not there, as there would be one less car in that lane... And the guys on either side of my spot will likely poke a 4 wheeler in there, or park some pit vehicles in it until we show. So there's some additional courtesy for the reserved spot guys.

If the facility has to chase them out of my spot, then it's poorly marked and should be handled better for the people that paid to rent the spots. The spot renters paid for a luxury, and a bit of service will likely have to come with that. That's why they paid... AND, if we are late Sunday arrivals, you'd still have had to chase them out of our spot all weekend, and we were there. Put up a sign, a rope, a tire, whatever, and you will solve the problem of needing to keep track of it. When the renter gets there, he moves the tire or sign, and pulls in. No drama, nothing to keep track of. When he leaves, he puts the sign back. If he never shows, the sign never moves.

If you rent a camp space out a Kiwanis park, that's your spot, for that period, no debate. There's no drama about irritated campers not getting a spot. Nobody is walking around checking to see who hasn't showed up so they could give away a paid for spot, to somebody that hasn't even paid for a spot. Or cared enough to spend the money to reserve a spot. If you haven't spent the money to reserve a spot, there should be no debate about it. Somebody else paid, you did not, move on down the row like any other facility or event in the world. And this isn't a case where there's nowhere to pit. Still plenty of pit spaces, never full, you're gonna get a spot, regardless if one that's paid for sits empty if the renter is late or can't make that event.

Also, isn't it hypocritical to charge one person to rent the spot, and then simply GIVE it to somebody else if the renter hasn't shown up? If that "somebody else" wants the spot, they should have to pay, like the other person did. Otherwise you are actually saying that a rented spot has no actual value, to either party. The guy that paid didn't get a reserved spot, whether he came or not, and the guy in it, was given a rented spot for free. No value proven either way at that point.

If you want to change it for next year, that's fine. But simply put. If a person pays for a spot... it's their spot, that's why they paid. If you're gonna put somebody else there for the weekend, they should then also pay. Because it's a spot you get by paying for it.

If the spot has value, it should be paid for. IF not, why did I pay for it in the first place? You want a slightly closer spot? Reserve one, and put up the money. That should be the bottom line.

No racers got sent home, nobody missed out, nothing changed, except that had we been able to attend, I'd have had my spot given away to somebody that didn't care enough to rent one.

Any racer should have ZERO problem looking at 100 empty feet at the start of pit road and asking about it. He should be told, we rent those spots to help raise revenue for the facility. If you like we can also rent you a spot, or we have miles of free pit space 5-10 spaces down (where it's also quieter).

[killerbee20]

I thought about it some more. Cooler heads prevail.

Perhaps I misunderstood the concept of renting a space, so I apologize if I've created any ill feelings.

If there is a list of people that would like a closer spot. I have no problem with PCMS simply re-renting the 2 spots I rented. Just pro-rate it and rent our spots to somebody else. Our bad for not understanding the concept of rent. I would be honor'd if the rent for my 2 spots would just go to help the facility. If nobody is inline, we'll just hang on until the end of the season and let Dan know if we can make it or not. It's not a problem, really.

I don't need the drama of anybody hanging over my shoulder worried about where we are or if we're gonna make it or not so they can give my spot away . Keep our rent and re-rent it to somebody else. No drama, just handled. I'm cool with it, truly.

I already feel more relaxed.

[ratikal]

Wow Killer Bee, You must type real fast. Here is what we did a few years ago at Lewistown. A friend of mine rented a pit spot and wasn't racing. We talked to him and rented it from him as we needed. The next year he didn't want the spot and we rented it for the year. I know that I would have been pissed if I showed up late and someone was in my spot. But it never happened because the Lewistown guys didn't try an give away something they did not "own". At Billings during the armdrop race the track was telling racers they were going to re-rent there spots for the weekend if they didn't show. The racers I heard from were mad about it. Some parked a camper on there spot so it would not get rented. If you rent the spot you own it as far as I am concerned. Like Bob said, we rent it for the piece of mind of having a spot when we show up if we choose to show up. It also wouldn't make much sense for the guy renting the spot to continue paying for one and never racing. I don't think we need to make this an issue and possibly piss off the racers, makes no sense to me. If someone wants to use your spot have them contact the renter about it directly.

In the words of Rodney King " Can't we all just get along" or something close to that.

Steve

[killerbee20]

Jul 21, 2009 14:45:31 GMT -5 @r-atikal said:

Wow Killer Bee, You must type real fast.

Between 80-120 wpm depending on content, stuff with lot's of numbers or addresses in it slows me to a crawl. I kind of live on a keyboard for work, so I've gotten pretty handy at it over the last 30 years. I can look at somebody, while typing and keep typing while talking to somebody else and not looking at the screen or keyboard, and still feel a mistake 7-10 key strokes back even though I didn't see it happen or watch it. It's like a freak show of sorts. So usually what happens is that I look like I'm ranting, when it's just a conversation. I can type about as fast as most people talk. That's why my stuff can get pretty long, on occasion.

Truly, I'm okay with whatever is best for the track. Whatever they want, is what I want.

[killerbee20]

Here's some additional perspective. I don't even know where our spots are. For all I know, they're in Dodson. ;D

If we were to get there first, rather than last, I would have no idea where to park.

I am serious though. If others are waiting to rent a spot. Let's work something out so they can rent ours and we'll just move on down the row. I'm not going to be checking in with anybody, or likely to remember to do it if we're not planning on coming. Soooo... perhaps best to move out and keep the peace.

If checking in is good for everybody else, and we're not going to be doing that, then we should bow out. Whatever is good for the track is what is best for us.

[killerbee20]

I let Ty use Solbergs spot.
John C let Warren Ayers use one of Renners spots.
Dave let two canadians fellers have two other spots.
Larry Lloyd used Charley Sinclair's spot.

I guess I don't feel as I have a possession, but a privilege if I am there. If not, let someone else have it. DanO

With all that moving around and trying to put people closer to the tower, Who's car ended up in the empty spot between Dan and Alsbergs motorhomes?

I'm just trying to re-enforce the "your spot is your spot" thing. As far as I'm concerned if you want to rent 15 spots and simply put a lawn chair in it, "more power to ya". ...lol...

[alzzy]

IF I AM NOT AT ANY RACE, FEEL FREE TO GIVE MY SPACE TO WHOM EVER. AND AS FOR THE SPOT BETWEEN DAN AND I, IT IS PAID FOR BY US. IT'S REALLY DARRYL'S SPOT BUT HE DIDN'T GET HIS CAR YET.

[prariehawg]

So what is the skinny on the rented spots? I see nothing about it here aside from this and nothing on the PCMS page?