Tornado Alley (PROG)

[dukeb]

Right away I checked the date of that article and, yeah. April 1.

However:

I don't think I've heard of ANY stores in suburban mall-type situations charging for their very plentiful parking

In the New Jersey Meadowlands, a giant shopping and entertainment complex was built, owned by the developers of the Mall of America outside Minneapolis, that charges for parking. https://www.americandream.com/parking

The Mall is a short walk from the stadium where the Giants and the Jets play (and where the 2026 World Cup Finals will be held). On game days, the parking rates are much higher.

About 25 years ago, a supermarket opened near me that was part of a small chain based in Brooklyn. It was clear that they catered to an urban blue-collar clientele. The prices were ridiculously high and the story was cramped and dirty. Their weekly circular had a banner across the top proclaiming "FREE PARKING." Yeah. That store closed in less than a year and the space sat empty for a long while. Now the building is an outpatient surgical center...of which there seem to be a growing number.