Boycott Potomac Mills Mall

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   In recent weeks the Management of Potomac Mills Mall has left pamphlets on cars stating that on 16 June 08 they would enforce the "blue line" parking limits for slugs (the line dividing slug parking from customer parking), by towing the cars of sluggers. However, this morning, they "closed" the lot, turning away even those that were "dropped off" to get rides, leaving slugs stranded and not allowing drivers to even pick up. This is extremely petty. The mall is surrounded with adequate parking and most slugger's cars are out by 5pm & never there on weekends. I'm certain most of the customer traffic in the mall is after 6pm weekdays and during weekends. Since many sluggers are also customers, I invite all to join in a Boycott of the Potomac Mills Mall. I encourage all to write the mall manager and especially the Mgr of each shop/store you frequent to get their support. Please join in sending/dropping off your letters and help pass the word to others. Thanks - "Slug-On"

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Rideless Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 16 Jun 2008 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Rideless Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Boycott Potomac Mills Mall Posted: 16 Jun 2008 at 12:42pm
	In recent weeks the Management of Potomac Mills Mall has left pamphlets on cars stating that on 16 June 08 they would enforce the "blue line" parking limits for slugs (the line dividing slug parking from customer parking), by towing the cars of sluggers. However, this morning, they "closed" the lot, turning away even those that were "dropped off" to get rides, leaving slugs stranded and not allowing drivers to even pick up. This is extremely petty. The mall is surrounded with adequate parking and most slugger's cars are out by 5pm & never there on weekends. I'm certain most of the customer traffic in the mall is after 6pm weekdays and during weekends. Since many sluggers are also customers, I invite all to join in a Boycott of the Potomac Mills Mall. I encourage all to write the mall manager and especially the Mgr of each shop/store you frequent to get their support. Please join in sending/dropping off your letters and help pass the word to others. Thanks - "Slug-On"

Late rider Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 24 Sep 2004 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Late rider Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 Jun 2008 at 1:52pm
	quote: Originally posted by Rideless However, this morning, they "closed" the lot, turning away even those that were "dropped off" to get rides, leaving slugs stranded and not allowing drivers to even pick up. Really???[:(!] Unbelievable. I have to see that tomorrow.

ceejay2 Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 06 Mar 2008 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote ceejay2 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 17 Jun 2008 at 8:50pm
	allow me to copy and paste my reply in a like topic here started by Kathy R... quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally posted by Kathy R [My proposal: 1) Boycott the mall. Encourage the boycott by put fliers on the parked commuter cars stating the poor treatment of the riders and drivers. 2) Move the lines at a certain time (ie 8am) to Potomac Circle (the road that surrounds the parking lot) so we can continue to be dropped off and we have a place to be picked up with out the harassment that we have been getting. 3) Signed petitions given to the PWC council, our representatives locally and nationally, to the Mall and environmental advocates. 4) Contact newspapers and tv to publish what is being done. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You have GOT to be kidding me. A private corporation has donated 950 parking slots for commuter use 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year, and you are complaining that they aren't contributing enough when they enforce the rules laid down for use of those parking spaces? Frankly, I'm surprised that all of those spaces didn't go away when the Simon Property Group took over the Mills. You can bet your bottom dollar that their legal department wanted them to do so, due to liability issues. But to their credit, Simon kept the lot open, as a show of good faith as a community parnter, and you show your gratitude for their generosity by trying to stage a BOYCOTT? Yeah, you go ahead and do that little thing. Put fliers on cars (urging a boycott of the mall they are currently patronizing fer God's sake!), sign petitions, complain to your county supervisors about how mean they are being to you, and ALERT THE MEDIA!!!!! Let's see just how long it takes for those 950 spaces to go to ZERO spaces. Now I finally understand what my daddy meant when he said my uncle could screw up a free lunch�.. (full disclosure - i have no vested interest in the Potomac Mills slug lines as we only drop off at Horner 5 nights a week, and i have no interest in the Mall except the money i spend there).

ceejay2 Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 06 Mar 2008 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote ceejay2 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 17 Jun 2008 at 8:59pm
	quote: Originally posted by Rideless In recent weeks the Management of Potomac Mills Mall has left pamphlets on cars stating that on 16 June 08 they would enforce the "blue line" parking limits for slugs (the line dividing slug parking from customer parking), by towing the cars of sluggers. However, this morning, they "closed" the lot, turning away even those that were "dropped off" to get rides, leaving slugs stranded and not allowing drivers to even pick up. This is extremely petty. The mall is surrounded with adequate parking and most slugger's cars are out by 5pm & never there on weekends. I'm certain most of the customer traffic in the mall is after 6pm weekdays and during weekends. Since many sluggers are also customers, I invite all to join in a Boycott of the Potomac Mills Mall. I encourage all to write the mall manager and especially the Mgr of each shop/store you frequent to get their support. Please join in sending/dropping off your letters and help pass the word to others. Thanks - "Slug-On" i just do not get this. the mall has earmarked 950 slots for commuter cars. according to an article posted here on another thread, they are now seeing 1300 cars parked in their lots each day. 350 cars more than allowed. and you think it's wrong for them to enforce the blue line bounderies? don't be angry at Potomac Mills for closing the slug lines when parking is full. blame those extra 350 people who can't follow the rules.

Joe Bowman Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 18 Jun 2008 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Joe Bowman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 18 Jun 2008 at 8:57am
	I believe the problem is what the mall is doing after the parking spaces are full, not the amount of spaces. I heard they were ticketing drivers who showed up and tried to pick up dropoffs after the lot was full. There's no reason for them to do that. No spaces, fine, no one parks. But not everyone who slugs in parks at the mall. People take taxis or have others drop them off there too.

Late rider Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 24 Sep 2004 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Late rider Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 18 Jun 2008 at 9:32am
	quote: full disclosure - i have no vested interest in the Potomac Mills slug lines as we only drop off at Horner 5 nights a week, and i have no interest in the Mall except the money i spend there). Why do you even bother wasting your time posting in here if you have no business there?[:D] We are trying to save the slug system at Potomac Mills that worked just fine for many years. You go ahead and pick up and drop off whatever at Horner Rd. Thank you

SpongeBob Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 06 Oct 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote SpongeBob Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 18 Jun 2008 at 1:03pm
	The problem isn't the Mall, it is the County Board of Idio... Supervisors. I am not aware of even ONE SINGLE SPACE of commuter parking being added on the east end of the county since 2002. Oh lord, I'm sick of pointing this out. I used to slug out of 234, then that filled before 6:30 with Staffordites. So I drove up to Horner every day until that, too, filled at 7:00. So I moved to slugging out of Potomac Mills, even though that means very few return slug rides and a lot more bus money spent. Now even THAT lot is going to be filled, very soon, every day by 7:00. Please don't tell me to get up earlier. I am already arriving at work an hour early by leaving the PM lot at 7:30. Our County Board are totally totally totally to blame here. They have blithely approved every single freaking subdivision put in front of them, with NO thought of how those people are going to get to work. The ridiculous Route 1 townhouse explosion: are any commuter lots part of that tree-destroying boondoggle? Ah, this is futile.

Late rider Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 24 Sep 2004 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Late rider Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 18 Jun 2008 at 1:20pm
	quote: Originally posted by SpongeBob The problem isn't the Mall, it is the County Board of Idio... Supervisors. I am not aware of even ONE SINGLE SPACE of commuter parking being added on the east end of the county since 2002. Oh lord, I'm sick of pointing this out. I used to slug out of 234, then that filled before 6:30 with Staffordites. So I drove up to Horner every day until that, too, filled at 7:00. So I moved to slugging out of Potomac Mills, even though that means very few return slug rides and a lot more bus money spent. Now even THAT lot is going to be filled, very soon, every day by 7:00. Please don't tell me to get up earlier. I am already arriving at work an hour early by leaving the PM lot at 7:30. Our County Board are totally totally totally to blame here. They have blithely approved every single freaking subdivision put in front of them, with NO thought of how those people are going to get to work. The ridiculous Route 1 townhouse explosion: are any commuter lots part of that tree-destroying boondoggle? Ah, this is futile. +1 Who lives in pineapple under the sea? ...squarepants. [:o)]

Jody Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Jody Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 18 Jun 2008 at 4:16pm
	I'll guess part of the problem with the lots not being used is if drivers don't find it convenient to pick up/drop off. We have the same problem in Springfield. A 266 space commuter parking lot was built on Backlick Road. It opened in December of 2007 and sits empty. Flyers were put on cars at Springfield Plaza to get riders from the Franconia/Kingstowne area to use this lot, but they won't park there. When a slug line was started at Springfield Mall (mgmt donated spaces), the drivers/riders were there in the morning but drivers found it "inconvenient" to drop riders back at that lot in the evening. A waste of taxpayer money.

sluDgE Members Profile Find Members Posts Master Slug Joined: 27 Oct 2003 Status: Offline Points: 501	Post Options Post Reply Quote sluDgE Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 18 Jun 2008 at 4:44pm
	... and there is also the 280-space VDOT commuter lot at the corner of Gambrill Rd and the Fairfax County Parkway that might get to 20% of capacity on a good day. It's only used now by bus riders and for carpool rendezvous. Jody is right. It must be the convenience thing -- and old habits die hard.