To self-serve and protect -- our own interests...

[inkarn8.livejournal.com]

Does anyone know why the City would ticket Somerville's own residents for expired inspection stickers? -- Two tickets 3 days apart? If I owned a driveway, they would not have done this... Can't they stick to the spirit of protecting our residential parking spots from outsiders? How about a warning instead, or a friendly reminder? And then a few days to get a sticker...

And why do they ticket cars after the street cleaner has already passed? I don't get any of those tickets for that reason, but it seems silly to not be able to park after the cleaner has clearly already passed... Is anyone else interested in getting some of these unfriendly policies changed? Also, why do we pay an extra Internet fee to pay tickets and update parking passes for a service which clearly must save the city time and money from waiting on us in person? How does the city award the contract to an Internet company which is making so much money for so little service?

Does anyone have a list of local politicians that support these policies and another list of who would rather see changes made?

Thanks so much!

Comments

RE: *sigh*

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

No, Somerville sets the amount of parking fines. For most fines, $50 is the *maximum* Somerville can choose. (Higher limits are allowed for things like hydrants and handicapped parking.)

They could make the expired registration ticket a more reasonable $15 if they wanted.

RE: *sigh*

[crankyoldguy.livejournal.com]

This isn't a parking fine, this should be a citation based on a violation of state law. See MGL Title XIV Chap 90 Section 20 which sets the fine at $50 for owning a motor vehicle without a valid inspection sticker.

By collusion of the state and the city, Traffic & Parking officers are allowed to act as agents for the Commonwealth in issuing the tickets and in return the city gets to keep some or all of the fine.

Now, I haven't seen one of these tickets, so perhaps Somerville is just issuing "friendly reminders" to get a new inspection sticker, which happen to come at a $50 price. If that were the case, then I would agree with you.

-Gary