Beware when parking in Whitestone

Few of us get through the holiday period without a last minute dash to the store. Perhaps we forgot cranberries or just discovered that Aunt Martha will be coming on Christmas Eve after all and will need a gift.
However, if your chosen destination is the Whitestone Shopping Center be sure to read and obey the parking signs or you may find that the crucial ingredient missing from your perfect holiday is your car.
Since June, the Whitestone Shopping Center, owned by Redmont Realty Corp. and managed by Punia & Marks Inc. has taken over policing parking at the center and regularly tows errant parkers from the lot.
&#8220We're just enforcing the law,” Mr. Fred Enrico of Punia & Marks Inc., said. &#8220Parking in the Fire Zone is not only illegal, it's dangerous.”
Punia & Marks Inc. has hired Infinity Towing which has had to tow cars from the lot on a daily basis. Having your car towed is not only expensive, with each motorist being fined $108 or $162 in the case of commercial vehicles, but also time-consuming, requiring several hours to locate and retrieve each vehicle. For an additional cost of $54 per vehicle, Infinity Towing will deliver cars to owners.
Signs in the lot are plentiful and the rules are straightforward:
1. Anyone parking and leaving his or her car unattended in the storefront fire lane will be towed immediately.
2. Shoppers who park in the employee parking spots will be towed.
3. Do not park in the odd spaces left over at the ends of each line of spaces. These aren't parking spots, and cars placed in these odd shaped end spots represent a hazard to other drivers as they jut into the driving lanes. Offenders will be towed.
4. Do not park in Handicap spaces unless you have a Handicap plate. Offenders will be towed.
5. Do not park for longer than three hours; this is private property, not a municipal commuter car park. Anyone parking at the center to catch the express bus will be towed after three hours.