Parking Authority Designates 800 ‘Ghost Spots’ That Do Not Actually Exist

MILLTOWN — The Milltown Parking Authority announced Tuesday the designation of 800 new “ghost spots” for the Halloween season — parking spaces that, the Authority confirmed when pressed, “do not actually exist.”

“They’re conceptual,” said Authority director Frank Delgado, unveiling a map dotted with 800 small ghost emojis. “Each ghost spot represents a parking space that could exist, in theory, if the laws of geometry and zoning were more flexible. We’re asking drivers to respect them anyway.”

The ghost spots — marked by nothing, enforced by no one — are part of the Authority’s “Spectral Parking Initiative,” designed to ease Halloween-night congestion near the city’s popular trick-or-treat corridors. Drivers who “park” in a ghost spot are asked to “visualize compliance” and “refrain from occupying physical space already occupied.”

“It’s about mindfulness,” Delgado said. “Before you double-park on Elm Street, consider: is there a ghost spot nearby? There is. There are 800 of them. They’re everywhere. They’re nowhere. That’s the beauty.”

Reactions were mixed. “I got a ticket for parking in a ghost spot,” said resident Carol Benson, holding a citation reading “VIOLATION: FAILURE TO VISUALIZE.” “The spot doesn’t exist. The ticket definitely exists. I checked. It’s $35.”

The Authority confirmed 212 ghost-spot tickets have been issued, all for “parking in a real spot while a ghost spot was available in spirit.”

“We’re not saying the tickets are real,” said enforcement supervisor Dana Whitfield. “We’re saying the revenue is real. There’s a difference. Our accountant explained it to us with a chart.”

Legal experts are skeptical. “You can’t ticket someone for a space that doesn’t exist,” said municipal law professor Dr. James Park. “Actually, you can ticket anyone for anything. Whether it holds up is another question. This will not hold up.”

The Authority remains confident. “The ghost spots will vanish November 1st,” Delgado said. “Like all ghosts. But the memory of compliance will linger. And so will the tickets.”