Diamond Parking gears up to catch cheaters

Parking cheats beware.

A member of the Diamond Parking patrol is riding a bicycle to prowl many of the 45 or so lots in the downtown Spokane core, catching up with people trying to steal a few minutes of off-street pavement.

The result has been more money for the company.

The two-wheeled venture, however, will be cut short by winter and worries about employee safety.

“We just don’t want one of our guys getting rolled,” said Dan Geiger, who manages the company’s lots in Spokane.

Instead of circling the block and coping with traffic headaches, the bicyclists were able to zip from lot to lot.

So for those thinking they could fudge a few minutes, there’s a real possibility the bike patrol will hit you in the wallet until the snow falls.

Employees brainstormed the idea in response to Hoopfest. Attempting to collect parking money in a jammed downtown is a hassle.

Diamond keeps close guard of its employees’ privacy, and Geiger said with a chuckle that he didn’t want his lone remaining cyclist singled out in a newspaper story.

But he’s still sweeping repeatedly through more than 20 lots every day, so wise up, and pay up.