BONITA SPRINGS, FLa. -- Sprinklers ensure Coconut Point is a desirable place to enjoy shopping or a nice meal. That's just what Chris Herrington and his wife came to do Saturday night.
"Dinner and some drinks and just a nice evening out. At the end of the evening she felt she had a little too much to drink and shouldn't drive home," said Herrington. So she got in her husband's car and took a precautionary step before heading home.
"We called mall security and just let them know she was going to leave her car there overnight. She described the car in detail," said Herrington. It's a decision she made after mall security told her the car would not be ticketed if she left them a message. Which made the paper waiting on her car's windshield the next morning even more surprising. "There was a little citation on her vehicle that essentially threatens to tow the vehicle if it is left on mall property again."
I made calls and emails to find out what the parking policy is at Coconut Point and what drivers should do if they've had a little too much to drink. In an emailed response, a spokesperson with the mall says,
"For the safety and security of our guests and employees, we do not allow unclaimed vehicles to remain on property overnight. This could pose any number of potential security risks. If a vehicle is left unattended, the property issues a courtesy citation that outlines our parking policy."
It's policy Herrington says discourages responsible decision making. "If i was a 21 or 22 year old person, that tells me it might be in my best interest to go ahead and drive home versus risk having my vehicle towed."
I reached out a second time to Coconut Point representatives to find out what people should do if they have to much to drink, whether the policy needs to be changed and if they do go on to tow vehicles that are left in the parking lot more than once. They have yet to respond to those questions.
