Fire Zone unmarked on Elm St

[sunnyschettler.livejournal.com]

Hello, first posting here so please be kind...
Am I the only occasional driver who has been caught in the ticket-trap that is at Elm/Bowers Ave corner? It's right in front of the bank next to Goodwill. On the very rainy Monday we just had I parked at the corner to run in two bags of Goodwill items. Two minutes later I was slapped with a $100 FEE ticket for parking in a Fire Zone.

The zone is marked only with a sign, not a red curb, and I mistook the sign as a simple No parking from here to corner sign. I can't afford a $100 ticket and will contest it in the public hearing. Has anyone else done this successfully, and if so, how? Should I take pictures of the signage and e-mail them to the city for instance, or just bring them to the hearing?

Thanks for any help or insights, -Sunny

Comments

[kalimba21.livejournal.com]

Welcome to this forum.

I have stopped at that spot many times to drop off a few bags at goodwill. There is no place to pull over and if someone has a lot of stuff, it's impossible to walk it all in the rain.

If you are new in town, please be aware that beginning a few months ago, our fair city is on a rampage to ticket everyone for the maximum fine at all times. They are vigilant and virtually _never_ miss a ticketing opportunity.

If you are relatively new to the city, I would definitely go to the hearing and ask for mercy, saying that you will be much more careful in the future. Oftentimes one will get a warning the first time.

There is no way they will up the fine for "wasting their time" as one poster said. They will either accept or reject your case.

Good luck. I feel your pain.

Thanks for that reply

[sunnyschettler.livejournal.com]

I was really encouraged to read your reply. It's good to know that this rampage of ticket writing is going on -- and that a first-time offense may be given a reduced fine.

I really can't claim to be new to the city, but I haven't used a car much (if ever!) in Davis Sq because I live within a 7-min walk. It was just on that drop-off errand on a rainy afternoon that I was shocked and saddened by the super-fast citation. It will hopefully help my case that I can show them the goodwill receipt and explain the situation in person, so I'll do that in a few weeks.

Thanks again, and yes, I feel welcomed here now.

Re: Thanks for that reply

[djdreilinger.livejournal.com]

Hopefully the hearing officer will at least find it amusing that you got a ticket for blocking a fire lane during a downpour.