Can You Legally Stand in a Parking Spot and Reserve It? Survey Says...

But, you know, it ain't legal.

San Francisco Police spokesman Officer Samson Chan affirms that standing in a parking spot and waving off rightful parkers because you've "saved" it is a violation of California Vehicle Code 21954(a).

It's a short and relatively readable section titled "Pedestrians Outside Crosswalk":

21954. (a) Every pedestrian upon a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway so near as to constitute an immediate hazard.

In short, you're impeding upon the right-of-way of a motorist to stand in a parking spot and not allow him or her to park. Interestingly, a veteran cop noted that this is also the infraction used to "get the ball rolling" in combating roadside prostitution.

Showing our age, however, we sprung the Bosom Buddies question on Chan. The 1980 sitcom starred Peter Scolari -- who went on to Hollywood greatness -- and Tom Hanks -- who no one heard from again -- as two guys who dress as ladies to live in a dirt cheap, all-women's building. That much most people remember. But, for some reason, I was always taken with the scene in the opening montage -- thanks, YouTube! -- where the two stars put a couple of coins in the parking meter, then sat in their lounge chairs and soaked in the rays while sprawled out in a parking spot.

If I'm putting money in the meter, shouldn't I be able to put whatever I want in that parking spot? "No," answered Chan. "It's for vehicles. It's illegal for you to be there."

Hmmmph. Peter Scolari and Tom Hanks have led us astray!