Mardi Gras parking perils

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Before you get to enjoy the Mardi Gras parade, you've got to find a place to park. Some say that gets harder and harder every year.

"The parking is crazy. Sometimes you can find a parking spot, and sometimes you can't," said Shawndria Felix.

The trick is to find a spot that's close to the parade route. Of course, some cars may be too close. The "No Parking" signs indicate parking is prohibited two hours before, during, and after the parades. And police say the city means business.

"We would like for them to stay off the main parade routes. Take the outside perimeter. There are parking areas where you can't park, and your vehicle will be towed," said Officer Ron Wallace.

Carol Burring was attracted to the meters on St. Francis Street. She's visiting from Michigan.

"Usually we don't have a problem parking. We usually park right down the street and get a spot. 'But why this spot?' It was open," Burring said.

Burring decided not to park there. That was probably a good idea. The illegal parking spots can be pretty expensive.

"You have until 11:00 p.m. to pick up your vehicle from there, and pay a $120 fine," Wallace said.

The cars that are towed are taken to a temporary impound lot at Monroe and Water Streets. If you don't pick your car up there before 11:00 p.m., it's taken to the city impound on Virginia Street. After 24 hours, the fine goes up.

"And after that there'll be a $20 fee for each day that it's actually there in storage," Wallace added.

You may have to drive around a piece to find a park, and it may not be as close as you'd like to the parade route, but in the end, you could save yourself a lot of money.

Officer Wallace said you'll need cash at the temporary impound lot. They don't take checks.