Description

Salem residents were notified that a snow emergency parking ban was put in place on Sat, 1/19/19, beginning at 8pm. Additionally, the notice also included the statement that residents could begin to park their cars in the city garages at 3pm,as the 'permitted beginning' of the snow emergency parking time.
Then, on Sunday,1/20/19,with freezing rain still falling & streets still a mess,the snow emergency parking ban was lifted. The notification text came at 5:23pm, with the ban lifted as of 6pm. this was at a time when the weather situation remained a mess,with temps dropping,& many people had already gathered together to watch the AFC Championship game, which began at 6:40pm. NO phone notification from the city was ever rec'd, as is usually done.
With the knowledge that cars had to be removed from the garage, or a per hr rate would be imposed, since the ban ended at 6pm, we & many others headed to the city garage to get our cars out.
With the parking ban lifted, there was a large group of disgruntled people at the Museum Place Garage when we arrived, before 6pm. They were all outside talking with a garage employee, asking why they were being charged for 2 days of snow emergency parking. We asked the same, & were told that any cars brought in at the 'allowable' 3pm time on Sat, & which were now being removed by the 6pm ban ending time on Sunday, had accrued TWO days of snow emergency parking.
This is ridiculous.
IF Salem city garages offer a time of 3pm to bring your car in,when a snow emergency parking ban does not begin until 8pm - & then when the ban ends the following day at 6pm - & garages charge residents for TWO full days, this is nothing but a scam & a money-making scheme.
What looked like a break for residents to get their cars in early on Sat, & then a quick turnaround to get them out by 6pm the next day, or pay more - & hitting everyone up for 2 days,is a new low for this city.
We were there before 6pm,(dropping all plans,cooking,etc,to get there),& yes, it was 3 hrs beyond the 24 hrs when we'd brought the cars in at 3pm on Sat, it still reeks of graft on the part of this city. Some folks outside the garage said they'd been parking there for 8-10 years, during snow emergencies, & had had nothing like this occur before.
We pity the folks whose cars may still be there,or who watched the Pats game, blissfully unaware they were being charged for 2 days & more per hour.
There should be a refund to all of us who trusted being able to get our cars in the garage early (per city notice) at 3pm on Sat, then had to hurry to the garage to get them out by 6pm, Sunday,& were charged $10.
to do so.
We don't care what the city snow emergency parking site says, this is not right. And,to call off a ban when weather conditions were, & still today, are treacherous, was an unconscionable, careless, & money grabbing act.
Shame on Salem.