Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market takes reserved - and preferential - parking to the next level at its store parking lots. Along with the special "handicapped" parking spots right in front of the stores, which are required by law, the grocery chain offers additional reserved spots for (1) adults with children (with them at the store, not being parents in general), (2) expectant mothers and (3) hybrid vehicles.
Of course, enforcement is another thing.
Of course, enforcement is another thing.
For example, we've yet to see a Fresh & Easy store clerk ask any customer parked in the "adults with children" spot to produce the kids for verification. Nor have we seen "hybrid vehicle verification specialists" patrolling the parking lots.
In the case of the "expectant mothers" parking spot, some people might say proof can be had with a quick visual. But that's not even completely true, particularly during the first few months of pregnancy. And, what if the customer isn't actually pregnant, just a bit big-boned? Further, what about the father-to-be, who just might be wearing an Empathy Belly? The majority of the Fresh & Easy stores are in California. Should the physically empathetic future dad be excluded from using the reserved spot? He's pregnant after all, just not biologically.In other words, parking behavior in the reserved parking spots - with the exception of the legally required "handicapped" zones - is on the honor system.
A Fresh & Easy Buzz reader from Bakersfield, California sent us a video clip from last night's ABC TV Channel 23 news broadcast in Bakersfield. The topic of the news report is the preferred parking spots at Fresh & Easy, specifically the store at California Avenue & Stockdale Highway, in the city.
Channel 23 reporter Erin Briscoe interviewed shoppers at the store, asking them what they thought about the various forms of preferred parking at the Fresh & Easy market. She also interviewed a law enforcement officer about enforcement of the reserved parking spots.
The opinions of the various shoppers, and law enforcement, are interesting and insightful, which is why we're sharing them with out readers.
Click here to view the video from last night's report on Bakersfield's Channel 23 News. There's also a brief write up about the report there.
[Readers: Feel free to offer your opinion about Tesco Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market's reserved parking policy and the three types of preferential parking it offers: hybrid cars, parents with kids, and expectant moms. Just click the "comments" link below - and opine away.]
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