ST. LOUIS – Finding a parking spot is one of the reasons St. Louis Cardinals fans arrived early for Opening Day Thursday. However, it’s appearing some fans were duped into paying for parking in illegal spaces.
Some fans tell FOX 2 they paid a parking attendant $40 to park in a grassy area along S. Broadway, about half a mile south of Busch Stadium. When they left the game, they found a $30 ticket waiting for them.
Pat McGlynn is a longtime business owner of Shamrock Pub, Stadium Liquor, and French Market Pizza in the area. He says he sees scams pop up when parking is in high demand.
“They’ll wear a vest and start charging people,” McGlynn said. “You got to be aware.”
One of the tickets was issued at 1100 S. Broadway. Online records indicate the area is state property.
According to the St. Louis Treasurer’s office, a grassy area is considered “unimproved land” and by ordinance, parking is not allowed on surfaces such as grass, gravel, dirt, or any surface that is not paved.
The office recommends fans use city-owned lots and offers a way for fans to view all available parking and pricing.
One fan who received a ticket told FOX 2 that he hopes the city will do more to prevent scams from happening.
A spokesperson for the St. Louis Department of Public Safety told us an investigation is underway.
