Vent Time

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

So, yesterday was the 1st wednesday of the month and I get a ticket for streetsweeping. Fine, I haven't gotten any in a while, no big deal. So, I come back from work and park on the other side. As I was leaving this morning, my roommate tells me "They're ticketing you" and I'm like, what the hell now, so I go down, and I realize today is the 2nd thursday of the month. So, I'm out $100 in the space of two days. I like having clean streets as much as the next guy, but if arranging them on back to back days isn't exploitative, I don't know what is. I'm calling my ward alderman.

Comments

Re: ticket venting (ME TOO!)

[ayelle.livejournal.com]

> == $30. for parking less than 20 feet from an intersection. Screw that - people have been parking there for years. This is a one-way street and I was well clear of the crosswalk and the handicap curb cut.

Me too! Same thing, same kind of street, I was probably 10-15 feet clear of the intersection, people have been parking there for years etc. And I couldn't appeal because that was right when I needed to renew my license and/or registration or something (stuff you can't do when you have unpaid tickets).

Every time I pass ANOTHER car not ticketed in that exact same spot, which actually is just about every day, I'm filled with rage. I actually understand the 20-feet-of-the-intersection rule, because of access for emergency vehicles and visibility for cars making turns etc. If I'd been ticketed just like anybody else, and it meant that corner was consistently clear so that if my house DOES catch on fire the truck can actually get on my street... but it's not. Ridiculous selective enforcement!

Plus I'm never exactly sure where 20 feet is. At the other end of the street there's a similarly confusing spot in between the corner and the fire hydrant -- it's just not big enough for someone to park there without being too near either the intersection or too near the fire hydrant. (And once in a great while I do actually see somebody ticketed in that spot.) But right there is a sign saying "Permit Parking Only (except during street sweeping etc)," which is really confusing -- ie why does it say "Permit Parking Only" if you can't park there at all?

If they're going to finally start enforcing the 20 feet rule after all these years of ignoring it -- which in theory I don't object to -- they need to a) be consistent and b) put up a bunch of damn "No Parking Here To Corner" signs.