$350 Parking ticket... WHILE I'M IN THE CAR!!

[eastcoast_gsx]

Non-moving...

Good one to test the waters on your own IMO. Good way to practice without too much on the line.

[Pinkster]

So I was driving my dad to the library today since had to drop some things off. Everything was pretty full so I figured I'd idle in the disabled spot for the 2-3 minutes it took for him to come back.

I was sitting in the car for no more than 45 seconds, when I see an enforcer start writing the ticket...
I get out and tell her I was here for less than a minute and I can move now, but she doesn't even respond. She puts the $350 ticket on my windshield and leaves after taking pictures of my car.

Now before everyone gets all holier-than-thou on me for parking in a disabled spot, let me fill you in on the details:

a) There were 3 other disabled spots RIGHT NEXT TO the one I was in,
b) I was in the spot for 2 minutes MAX.

What are my options here? I really thought that "parking" only qualified when you're not in the car... apparently I was wrong.

Thanks for any advice given my way, and yes I know I'm a bastard for robbing the disabled of their spot, so go easy on me

Umm.. FYI.. had you backed the car out and left before she finished the ticket it would have been void.

[MassNutrition]

Umm.. FYI.. had you backed the car out and left before she finished the ticket it would have been void.

I think he was a deer caught in the headlights... I would have goofed up too, and not think. Who would ever expect something like this, right?

[Waldo]

I think he was a deer caught in the headlights... I would have goofed up too, and not think. Who would ever expect something like this, right?

That's exactly what happened man, she caught me off guard...
And I really thought "parking" meant LEAVING the car, so I got out to make sure she knew I was inside. Bad move, I know. Oh well, learn from my mistake kids.

I'm gonna drop the ticket off tomorrow, and I'll keep you guys updated on the situation, thanks for all the input!

[Flip]

just fight your ticket! they'll lower your fine $150 instead of 300+. Coz no matter what, you are guilty of parking in a disabled person's parking spot. you'll be fine. atleast it wouldnt affect your driving record. Try getting 2 speeding ticket in a span of 3 hrs!!!! hahaha.

[MarcosSantiago]

Waldo,

I want to repeat what Flip wrote in the post above ^

Just fight the ticket. Talk to the prosecutor... I can tell you that the prosecutors routinely reduced the fines without wasting much of their (or your) time. For example, the $250 ticket for parking-on-a–fire-route ticket is reduced (most of the times in Toronto) to $50 or $75, and the Handicap ticket can be pleaded down to $75 - $100, if you explain that you are a student and have learnt your lesson.


No point in hiring anyone to talk to the prosecutor. You can do it yourself.


Two things I’d like to ask you - do not park on the handicap spots again, AND do not follow the advice given to you here to try to run away from the parking people, so they can't place the ticket on your windshield. Running back to your car, speeding away, etc. can cause an accident and believe me... that'd be a lot more than $50 -$100...

[mihnea]

take it to court - when i was there fighting my parking tickets there was a guy in the same exact situation and he got off with a $15 fine. still a fine, I know, but not $350!

[Fingolfin]

take it to court - when i was there fighting my parking tickets there was a guy in the same exact situation and he got off with a $15 fine. still a fine, I know, but not $350!

i doubt they reduced a $350 ticket to $15, he probably had a $30-$45 and they reduced it to $15.

[roadtoruin]

I just got a ticket last week for parking too close to a fire hydrant - $100. I park in this area every day in the summer and i've always parked on either side of the hydrant with no problems. I don't bring my tape measurer with me, but apparently the parking gestapo did that day. Asked for a court date the next day. I'm hoping for a no show or a lowered amount cause that was BS.

[Waldo]

Two things I’d like to ask you -[/B] do not park on the handicap spots again, AND do not follow the advice given to you here to try to run away from the parking people, so they can't place the ticket on your windshield. Running back to your car, speeding away, etc. can cause an accident and believe me... that'd be a lot more than $50 -$100...

Thanks for the heads up man, but yeah I don't normally do this, and I'd never actually PARK (ie. Leave the vehicle) at a handicap spot unless I had a legitimate permit.

I was just idling for a minute or two, and there were 3 other spots that were empty right next to me (even closer to the library), so I figured I wasn't restricting anyone's access to it.

take it to court - when i was there fighting my parking tickets there was a guy in the same exact situation and he got off with a $15 fine. still a fine, I know, but not $350!

WHAT?!? That's crazy man! You're getting my hopes up here lol

Try getting 2 speeding ticket in a span of 3 hrs!!!! hahaha.

What the hell? I don't even WANNA know what your insurance rate is

[vrus]

I really don't think a JP will let go somebody parked in a handicap spot.

[nobbie48]

I really don't think a JP will let go somebody parked in a handicap spot.

That would be politically incorrect for the JP.

The OP interested me because of a conversation I had with a parking lot manager a few weeks ago in Guelph.
He said they watched the handicap spaces with the security cameras and the second a car pulled in without a blue sticker security would go out.
One guy was giving his GF a kiss goodbye and got hit with a ticket and the comment "That kiss cost you $350.00."
I thought there was a no harm - no foul rule but he said no.
I asked if that meant I couldn't stop for ten seconds to drop someone off.
He said the only reason I wouldn't get a ticket for that is they can't get there that fast.

Good luck

[Flip]

Waldo!

ha!! you'll be surprise how much I pay for my insurance.
I drive a civic coupe si and i pay 170 full coverage! =P

Anyways first I was caught in buffalo NY, wasnt gonna pay it but they're amalgamated with the Ontario. (Had to go back there and fight it or else it will show in my driving record here. 6 points = 2 points here. So I just payed 150 U$ instead of speeding they've wrote it as 2 parking tickets) 2nd ticket after 3 hrs driving in QEW OPP gunned me for 25 km over the speedo. Fought this two but cop didnt showed up.

so yah luck of the draw my friend!

[Fingolfin]

Waldo!

ha!! you'll be surprise how much I pay for my insurance.
I drive a civic coupe si and i pay 170 full coverage! =P

Anyways first I was caught in buffalo NY, wasnt gonna pay it but they're amalgamated with the Ontario. (Had to go back there and fight it or else it will show in my driving record here. 6 points = 2 points here. So I just payed 150 U$ instead of speeding they've wrote it as 2 parking tickets) 2nd ticket after 3 hrs driving in QEW OPP gunned me for 25 km over the speedo. Fought this two but cop didnt showed up.

so yah luck of the draw my friend!

New York isn't "amalgamated" with ontario... they have a reciprocity agreement with Ontario.

[Griffin]

I think you're screwed but you obviously realize it ain't a good idea and have learned the lesson, so, good luck with it in court if you choose to fight it.

You may get a lenient JP, particularly if you play up the fact that you never occupy these spots normally. But I'm betting you'll be out the $350.

[CruisnGrrl]

though it doesnt make sense, its not a loading zone, safer to idle in the lane

[toysareforboys]

This will blow your mind:

You are parked in a disabled spot WHEN YOU COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. The car/bike can be in any gear, doesn't matter.

My friend had to back into a disabled spot to turn around because there was a fender bender with two cars in front of him at walmart and it was blocking the exit for that isle. I guess a cop was approaching because the accident had been called in. My friend backed into the disabled spot and pulled out to go the other way down the isle. The cop angled his car so he could not proceed out of the isle and got out and wrote him a ticket for parking in the handicapped spot. Took it to court, lost. Once you come to a stop in a handicapped spot, you are parked. Technical note: It is impossible to reverse direction without coming to a stop.

Good luck.

-Jamie M.

[nobbie48]

This will blow your mind:

You are parked in a disabled spot WHEN YOU COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. The car/bike can be in any gear, doesn't matter.

My friend had to back into a disabled spot to turn around because there was a fender bender with two cars in front of him at walmart and it was blocking the exit for that isle. I guess a cop was approaching because the accident had been called in. My friend backed into the disabled spot and pulled out to go the other way down the isle. The cop angled his car so he could not proceed out of the isle and got out and wrote him a ticket for parking in the handicapped spot. Took it to court, lost. Once you come to a stop in a handicapped spot, you are parked. Technical note: It is impossible to reverse direction without coming to a stop.

Good luck.


-Jamie M.

Consider my mind blown. I guess the only exemption is for cops at donut shops.

[rukus]

This will blow your mind:

You are parked in a disabled spot WHEN YOU COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. The car/bike can be in any gear, doesn't matter.

My friend had to back into a disabled spot to turn around because there was a fender bender with two cars in front of him at walmart and it was blocking the exit for that isle. I guess a cop was approaching because the accident had been called in. My friend backed into the disabled spot and pulled out to go the other way down the isle. The cop angled his car so he could not proceed out of the isle and got out and wrote him a ticket for parking in the handicapped spot. Took it to court, lost. Once you come to a stop in a handicapped spot, you are parked. Technical note: It is impossible to reverse direction without coming to a stop.

Good luck.

-Jamie M.

i call BS, not on the story itself, but on how there had to be parts missing.

[caboose483]

Technical note: It is impossible to reverse direction without coming to a stop.

Good luck.

-Jamie M.

Give me a rear-wheel-drive car with a stick and enough hp and i could do it.

That story sucks tho.. i'd be pretty annoyed.