Fighting Parking Tickets in Cambridge

[craigindaville.livejournal.com]

Since the Camberville city line is so close to DS, I thought I'd ask here (but admins, please remove or note if this isn't site-specific enough):

My S.O. recently got a parking ticket in Cambridge. She was parked at a meter spot, where the sign clearly states that there is a two hour limit, enforced from 8 or 9am (can't remember; not relevant) to 5pm. Her ticket is for an expired meter at 5:31pm. She parks in this area at least once a week for an appointment, either at that spot or one next to it/nearby so she knows the area pretty well (and has never gotten a ticket before).

We all know from previous posts that in Somerville, if you use the online appeal form, you will be denied. No matter what, even if you have absolute proof (such as an email confirmation on paying the meter via the app and that it was still current when the ticket was written) they will deny you. Because screw you. But if you wait for the first late payment reminder and get a hearing appointment, you'll actually have a shot at talking to a human being and making your case.

Obviously there's a "what's my time worth" debate, and I hate that because it means the city wins no matter what as long as they keep violation fees low enough for most people to just pay even if the city is clearly in the wrong. While it's an inconvenience for those of us with PTO or enough disposable income that $25 is a nuisance rather than an eviction, things like this really screw many of our neighbors over who don't have that luxury.

That aside, has anyone found the magic bullet for getting a human to actually look at evidence (in this case, photos taken that night of the car at the meter and the signage clearly stating enforcement ends 31 minutes before the ticket was written) on that side of the border?

Many thanks in advance!

Comments

moderator note

[ron_newman]

The post is fine here. I added the "parking" tag.

[ron_newman]

Most meters I've seen in Cambridge run until 6 pm, some until 8 pm. Is it possible that the "2 hour limit" and the meter have different stopping times?

[craigindaville.livejournal.com]

That was my first thought, as well, or that the 5pm end time was for a different part of the street. But looking at the pictures she took (which I don't have here to upload and share) it was really clear to me that it was 5pm, and that it referred to where she was parked (in fact, the sign and the sign pole were next to her car).

And thanks for adding the tag. I always forget to do that (on the rare, once-a-year occasion that I initiate a post here!).

[frotz.livejournal.com]

There's a pretty good chunk of parking in Cambridge that ends at 5pm, too. (Cambridge St. in particular.)

At least when I did it you could drop by the parking office pretty informally and make a case for yourself; they should also have official records of what meters end when, so just calling it to their attention might be enough. My experience with it was very much unlike other places, in that they were not out to arbitrarily screw people and were willing to entertain the idea that they'd messed up. (A picture would surely help, though.)

[craigindaville.livejournal.com]

Thanks-- good to know your experience was pretty positive and rational!

[panforte.livejournal.com]

I appealed a ticket online in Cambridge a few years ago when a visitor permit had fallen off my dash (which was entirely my fault). I sent in my photos and they dismissed the ticket quickly, no problems. I'd try the online appeal!