Wrong direction?

[madscientist01.livejournal.com]

Sorry to bring up everyone's favorite topic around here... but I got cited for parking in the wrong direction today. I have never even heard of this. I was not on a one way street, and pulling in and out of the spot didn't seem any more dangerous than making a left/right turn. But yes, I was parked on the left side of the street, opposite from most cars. Do I have any chance in contesting this? And, slightly relevant, I read on the ticket that it could be adjudicated (appealed) online. Anyone done this?

Comments

[ron_newman]

This used to be allowed in Somerville, and still is allowed in Medford. Somerville made it illegal a few years ago, for no good reason that I could see.

Good Reason

[library-sexy.livejournal.com]

When you pull in or out of the spot you need to drive across traffic the wrong way. If you have other cars parked around you when you pull out you can't always see the on coming traffic as you are on the farthest side of the car from the traffic.

Re: Good Reason

[ron_newman]

True, but I think we're talking about small residential streets, not Highland Avenue.

Re: Good Reason

[library-sexy.livejournal.com]

Sure it is likely not as dangerous on a smaller residential street than Highland Ave, but how do you write a law saying it is OK on some and not on others?

Because I felt like I learned this rule when I got my license (I got it in MA when I was 16) I checked and the "Rules of the Road" book from the RMV states:
"In Massachusetts, you may not park your vehicle in certain places:.....
• Facing the wrong way against traffic"

Because the rule are enforced by town, some must let you do it while others don't, but the State Law says it is illegal. Why each town is different I can't answer.

Re: Good Reason

[http://users.livejournal.com/deviant_/]

how do you write a law saying it is OK on some and not on others?

Many cities use lined vs unlined roads to distinguish exactly this.

Re: Good Reason

[madscientist01.livejournal.com]

...nd this specific road was not lined. I have parked in other cities where "wrong direction" is allowed. In fact I have parked in the wrong direction on this street before and never been ticketed, which was why I was so confused to find one this time.

Re: Good Reason

[http://users.livejournal.com/deviant_/]

Sure; library_sexy asked how you write a law that says some roads are okay and some aren't, and I was explaining how you go about doing that. Somerville has apparently chosen not to distinguish.

Re: Good Reason

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

The RMV manual is not the law, and it has plenty of mistakes.

I don't think there's any state law about parking on the wrong side.

Re: Good Reason

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Which are, if I remember my insurance stats correctly, vastly more accident prone. When people are close to their destination, they inevitably relax because they think they know the terrain.

Re: Good Reason

[treacle-well.livejournal.com]

Also, though not, I think, the official reason, when enough cars are parked in the "wrong" direction, it can be kind of disorienting and confusing for drivers in the area. I live just over the line in Medford, and wrong-side parking is so common that it often looks like some streets in my neighborhood are one-way when they aren't. When you have to stop or slow down and wonder if you are driving in the wrong direction, stop short when you are about to make a turn because it suddenly looks like you are about to turn onto a 1-way street (that isn't in fact 1-way), or are surprised by cars driving in what momentarily appears to be the wrong direction, I think that's a bit less safe overall.

Re: Good Reason

[library-sexy.livejournal.com]

I don't know why Medford allows this to happen, but I do agree that some streets seem one way when they are not.

Re: Good Reason

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

omg YES, this. if i'm unfamiliar with an area and come across cars parked just whichever way, i often panic thinking i've missed a sign or something, amongst other things.

[knowthyself.livejournal.com]

"for no good reason that I could see."

Ah, yes, I believe that reason would be the Benjamins. $$$$$!

[madscientist01.livejournal.com]

Do you have any sources on that information? I remember parking this way in the past and have never gotten a ticket until now. I wonder if I could plead my case -- I used to be able to do it and now I can't. I won't do it again but please don't make me pay $30 based on confusing rules. It's times like this when I think Somerville should have a warning ticket for a first-time offense. But of course that would mean less $$.

[madscientist01.livejournal.com]

Sources for "that information" meaning wrong direction parking "used to be allowed in Somerville"

[ron_newman]

The change was quite a few years ago, not recently. Dorothy Kelly Gay was the mayor then, not Joe Curtatone.

[madscientist01.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I thought maybe there would be a grace period after the rule change. Because I hadn't been ticketed before (within the past few months) I thought maybe the rule change was recent (along with many other recent parking rules!)

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

I don't think you can use the defense "I broke the law before and noone ticketed me, therefore I should always be able to break the law". The police can't be everywhere at all times. If you haven't gotten a ticket until now, you've been lucky.

Look at it this way. If you shoplift and don't get caught, should you thereafter always be able to openly shoplift? If you commit murder and aren't caught, should you thereafter always be able to openly kill people? If you speed on a highway, should you thereafter always be able to openly drive at whatever speed you choose?

[ron_newman]

Well, those things are a bit different, since parking on the left side of a small dead-end street doesn't hurt anyone.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Yes, but the principle still applies; and as they say, ignorance of the law is no excuse.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Hurting anyone has nothing to do with it -- for right now, he parked the wrong way and got a ticket for it. Whether or not you think the law is valid doesn't change the law itself (there's a different process for that).

[madscientist01.livejournal.com]

I'm not saying I should be allowed to do it because I have done it in the past. I am saying that because a) I didn't know it was illegal and b) I have done it before and never been ticketed, I was surprised to find out it was illegal. Even on the Somerville government website I cannot find a description of this violation other than "wrong direction $30." I would have assumed this had something to do with a one-way street. And the police didn't do anything, the traffic officer did. Next time I get a $30 ticket for murdering someone, I won't contest it -- happy?

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

I would have assumed

And we all know what assuming does!

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

Yikes! I have to remember not to get on your bad side! :)

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

the only reason I ever saw for this law is to determine if small unmarked streets were one way or not. when I see most cars parked on the wrong side of the street, I assume it's a one way street. (which given the size of these tiny streets, isn't really much of an issue most of the time)

[leko.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised that was ever legal anywhere. It's probably just from growing up in an area where it was illegal, but now whenever I see that it gives me a "wtf" moment.

[vibrantabyss.livejournal.com]

I've known towns where they will ticket, toss it on appeal by the driver, and hand the driver a moving violation for driving on the wrong side of the road, based on his own testimony...

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

wow, that's inventive! (and sneaky for the town)

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

What towns do this?

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Me too.

[mrsdollylevi.livejournal.com]

I live on a very short dead end. The idea of the wrong side is very muddy. I've been ticket for parking in the wrong direction twice - each time I was parked in a different direction. I appealed the second one and it was dismissed. But I think only because I had the previous ticket.

Is that clear?

[masswich.livejournal.com]

I think that- with the possible exception of some of the really narrow dead ends - this should be illegal. It confuses people and I am sure it makes it more likely for there to be an accident.

Why park the wrong way on a street unless its a really sketchy dead end anyway? Why not just turn around?

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

Easy answer: In the morning, it's simpler to leave from THAT direction. However, when you come home, the traffic flow is from the Other Direction. So you go with the flow, but park in front of your home. I've seen a LOT of cars parked face-down on both sides of a hilly street (this is Medford).