Sayville Salon Owner Takes a Unique Approach to Parking Violators

A Sayville salon business owner, fed up with drivers using her lot for movie theater use and other reasons, is taking the unusual step of slapping bright red stickers on parking violators’ cars to remind the non-customers that her lot is only for her clients’ use.

“I’m just fed up with people parking when the signs clearly state it’s for my salon clients. It’s become a sore subject every day as I listen to my customers tell me they have no parking access and I have a lot for them,” said Blanca, owner of Blanca’s salon on Railroad Avenue.

“People destroy my signs and I keep replacing them. There is a sign that says no parking unless you’re a customer and I could have their cars towed or call the police. So I started using the stickers,” she explained.

And the stickers are having an impact as at least one Bayport resident, Lisa, wasn’t very happy to return to her car and see the big sticker on her vehicle’s driver side window.

“I thought it was open parking and I didn’t see any signs,” said Lisa, who said she went into Blanca’s salon to inquire why someone had put graffiti on her truck. The sticker states: "NO THEATRE PARKING TENANT AND CUSTOMERS OF BLANCA'S ONLY.”

A heated exchange then took place, according to both women.

“I took her outside and showed her the sign. I’m just sick of it. People just don’t read the signs,” said Blanca, who has operated a Sayville salon for 33 years and has been in her current location for 12 years. “I pay $17,000 a year and that’s for the space for my customers to park,” she added.

Lisa, who emailed the Patch about the incident, contends she never noticed the sign and said there were plenty of parking lot spaces available.

“I felt the need to immediately write to the Patch and urge people TO BE WARNED or your car will be vandalized,” she wrote.

“I'm unsure if she's even allowed to do that, but I had to drive around, embarrassed, with that obnoxious sticker. I'm aware this is a silly little dispute, but I was/am annoyed by her and felt the need to put in my two cents as I usually never do so. I also attached a picture, and now I'm starting to find a lot of humor in this. “

But Blanca doesn’t see any humor in the parking situation and vows to keep putting stickers on cars parked illegally in her lot.

“These people think they’re entitled and they’re insubordinate. They need to read the signs.”