Why steal spots for cars on Seattle’s PARking Day?

UPDATE: PARKing Day ended at 3 p.m. It was an event Jason Rantz says that was poorly planned.

With parking spaces already so difficult to come by, not everyone is pleased with Seattle’s annual PARKing Day, which this year turned a record 50 parking spots into public parklets on Friday.

“For a city that says there’s ‘absolutely no war on cars,’ they do seem to make life harder for cars at the most inopportune time,” says KIRO Radio’s Jason Rantz.

The 50 PARKing spots around the city offered varied activities from a life-sized Jenga game being set up in Pioneer Square to a make-your-own smoothie by bike blender in West Seattle. While they might sound fun, Rantz says a lot of people weren’t able to take advantage.

“Why do this on a weekday?” says Rantz. “People work between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. They won’t have time to even enjoy these pop-up parks. Do it on a weekend when people aren’t rushing to get to work on time, when people have the time to enjoy what you’re trying to get them to enjoy.”

Rantz says it might be a fun idea for people who don’t have jobs, but: “this is useless and annoying if you’re one of the many who commute to the city and need parking for work or lunch meetings.”

If you’re looking to enjoy a PARKing Day spot, or just avoid them, the city has provided a map of the 50 locations.

View larger map