Poll -- Ticket for parking in wrong direction

Quote: ChampagneFireball

Why punish UCSB for enforcing their parking rules?

I think his point is that a good number of people don't even know that this is a "rule". It's not like someone parking without a permit (which everyone would agree is a clear rule violation).

In the end though, I agree with everybody that $32 is not worth fighting.

I don't really care which choice you choose, but the fact that you included the "I'm a bigot" choice that should now be required on every poll, actually made me laugh out loud for real. Not just one of those fake lol's where no sound really comes out. Classic !

ZCore13

Protest the ticket.

1. Pulling up into the open stop so that you don't have to back up is safer than having to back up.
2. Not having to back up saves fuel, lowers carbon emissions, and in return, helps saves the planet.
3. Why is the government telling me when it's safe, what is safe when dealing with everyday, ordinary situations.
4. There was no sign warning me that backing into a parking space was illegal.

Good Luck!

Here is an update.

This is embarrassing to admit, but a few days after this post I got another college parking ticket at my own alma mater, UCSB. Every year I attend their Family Vacation Center. When you arrive they tape a parking pass to your windshield. In my case, they didn't use enough tape, it fell off, and I got a $45 ticket. So, I complained to the staff and they filed a protest for me. UCSB wrote back and reduced the charges to $15, which I just paid. That seems fair. Maybe I could go after the FVC for $15 for not using enough tape, but I don't want to get a bad reputation, as I'm pretty much a regular there now.

The sad thing about this, and maybe I shouldn't say this in public, but my license plate is UCSB. Imagine UCSB giving a parking ticket to a car with UCSB license plates. The irony is just sickening. Where is their compassion?

When I got back home I contested my Cyprus Community College ticket through the same interface. No word on a decision there. I argued that I had a large car, full of luggage (which was true) impeding my rear view, didn't know the parking rules, and thought it was be safer to park with the front end facing out. I think a reduced charge would be fair in this situation as well.

Quote: Wizard

The sad thing about this, and maybe I shouldn't say this in public, but my license plate is UCSB. .

Your plate says UCSB on it, like a personalized plate?

I'm late to this thread and can only give a UK opinion on this matter.
If it's a private parking company I always ignore the tickets.
At best they are an invitation to pay a penalty, not a fine.
The penalty is not enforceable unless the company can show in court a monetary loss at least equal to the charge and a breach of contract.
As the penalty is always more than any loss no parking company has yet dared to sue, so it remains untested in a UK court room.
Most people do however pay up as they get scared with a demand for payment.
If you don't pay you won't hear from the company again after the first few requests for payment.
In fact the last request will be an offer of a reduced payment, they would rather get something than nothing.
I've got a stack of unpaid demands, all worthless without a court order.

Quote: EvenBob

Your plate says UCSB on it, like a personalized plate?

Yep.

Quote: Wizard

Here is an update.

This is embarrassing to admit, but a few days after this post I got another college parking ticket at my own alma mater, UCSB. Every year I attend their Family Vacation Center. When you arrive they tape a parking pass to your windshield. In my case, they didn't use enough tape, it fell off, and I got a $45 ticket. So, I complained to the staff and they filed a protest for me. UCSB wrote back and reduced the charges to $15, which I just paid. That seems fair. Maybe I could go after the FVC for $15 for not using enough tape, but I don't want to get a bad reputation, as I'm pretty much a regular there now.

The sad thing about this, and maybe I shouldn't say this in public, but my license plate is UCSB. Imagine UCSB giving a parking ticket to a car with UCSB license plates. The irony is just sickening. Where is their compassion?

When I got back home I contested my Cyprus Community College ticket through the same interface. No word on a decision there. I argued that I had a large car, full of luggage (which was true) impeding my rear view, didn't know the parking rules, and thought it was be safer to park with the front end facing out. I think a reduced charge would be fair in this situation as well.

That does not seem fair to me. The key word here is THEY. THEY taped the pass to the windshield. THEY didn't use enough tape.

When all else fails pull a Patrick Kennedy and say "Do you know who I am"? Works like a charm.

Quote: 1BB

When all else fails pull a Patrick Kennedy and say "Do you know who I am"?

Hahahahaha

I got the results of my appeal to Cyprus college and it was upheld. Here is all that they told me:



There is an option for a second appeal but I think I would have to be present. I would have been nice if they lowered the fine, but nothing at all. I'm rather steamed about it.

Are they connected to the state or is this a
private deal? If its private what can they do
to you if you don't pay.

If there is are signs posted, then you are guilty, my friend. Pay the fine, calm down, and find some way to bet against them (bet against the Houston Astros. Brandon Barnes, their outfielder, I think is the only active MLB player who went to Cypress... of course it's pretty easy to bet against the Astros).

This thread is giving me flashbacks. For what it's worth, in college (UMBC) I was a "justice" on the "Student Traffic Court". Which basically was the appeal system for anyone getting an on campus parking ticket. You could write in an appeal. Or show up in person. "Court" was M, W, F from 12-2pm. It usually went like this. People who bothered to show up and had any kind of decent excuse at all were let off...or given a reduced fine. People who wrote in were much more likely to be found guilty. Typically, the letter(s) were lame at best, and it's much easier to find a letter "guilty" than a human being sitting in front of you. Frankly, in almost every case I saw the defendants had technically been in the wrong. Like Mike is. But had some reasonable excuse why they felt they should be cut a break. Like Mike does. There was a 2nd level of appeal to a "judicial board". But in 2 years on the court I never saw a decision reversed. So at this point Mike it might be better just to pay. I realize the response, or lack thereof, from the school is aggravating. But in this case you really can't fight the man. If it makes you feel better I got a $52 ticket in downtown Baltimore a couple of weeks ago, for parking illegally when I clearly didn't . I just sent in the check. It's not worth my time. Still pisses me off though.

Quote: Wizard

I got the results of my appeal to Cyprus college and it was upheld. Here is all that they told me:

The citation #19127722       issued on 7/20/2013       has been upheld. 

Head in only parking. Signs posted.

There is an option for a second appeal but I think I would have to be present. I would have been nice if they lowered the fine, but nothing at all. I'm rather steamed about it.

What a bunch of jerks. First of all, I don't even think their sign uses proper English. There is no head on a car and secondly you should be able to park how you want as long as it doesn't bother anyone. If the lot is empty, what difference does it make anyways? Still, what authority do they have anyways to ticket cars I wonder? Especially when you consider, it has been proven safer to drive out of a spot than to back out, so they're putting people at risk with an excuse to make money which probably doesn't even lower tuition.

Quote: Wizard

I got the results of my appeal to Cyprus college and it was upheld. Here is all that they told me:

The citation #19127722       issued on 7/20/2013       has been upheld. 

Head in only parking. Signs posted.

There is an option for a second appeal but I think I would have to be present. I would have been nice if they lowered the fine, but nothing at all. I'm rather steamed about it.

"It would have been nice...."

Really Wiz?? I am tempted to rattle of a list of 'would have been nice' statements, but am not going to go in that direction. :-)

But, I will go here......You are "rather steamed about it". Yikes! Earlier in this thread, I said the AP move was to pay the $32, move on and save yourself the aggregation. I am sorry that you didn't listen and instead invested your time and money chasing pennies in exchange for a little satisfaction, the result which predictably has left you "steamed". That's sad. Your time, effort and sanity is worth so much more than that.

So here's my new advice, sir. Make the AP move , pay the $32 bucks, move on and save yourself further aggregation. Or as we say in the AP world, "don't chase your losses" or "don't throw bad money (including time and effort) after good". Or how about this one...."cut your losses". :-)

Quote: onenickelmiracle

What a bunch of jerks... you should be able to park how you want as long as it doesn't bother anyone.

This is the exact position most drivers took when
autos first appeared on the scene. People parked
anywhere and everywhere they wanted. Thats
how parking laws were born.

Quote: Wizard

I'm rather steamed about it.

I should think you are steaming

Have you broken any law of the land?
It appears you haven't, especially if the ticket didn't state the specific law.
If no law has been broken I wouldn't pay this in a million years.
Bend over and take it whimpering, no way never.

Quote: kewlj

Earlier in this thread, I said the AP move was to pay the $32, move on and save yourself the aggregation.

Sometimes you have to take a stand on principle. Once I felt I was cheated over a $2 friendly bet and spent several hours arguing about it, not to mention the hundreds of posts of discussion here about that bet.

Quote: Jeepster

I should think you are steaming

Have you broken any law of the land?
It appears you haven't, especially if the ticket didn't state the specific law.
If no law has been broken I wouldn't pay this in a million years.
Bend over and take it whimpering, no way never.

Well, to play the devil's advocate, I think there is probably a sign saying that parking there is a contract and by parking I agree to their rules.

Quote: Wizard

Well, to play the devil's advocate, I think there is probably a sign saying that parking there is a contract and by parking I agree to their rules.

This is the case on almost any private property. If you don't agree to abide by their rules you shouldn't park there. If the rule is clearly posted I don't see how you have any reason not to pay.

Didn't you read the beautiful 2 page PDF published by Cypress College department of Public Safety on its parking regulations?

It's all there, in Section 15. Parking fines are set in Point 6.

You probably have the form for the 2nd appeal: here.

You make combine your appeal with a visit to the California casinos at least and get some kind of writeoff for the trip?

In the famous words of Dudley Dawson:
"I say we blow the fuckers up."

Quote: Wizard

Well, to play the devil's advocate, I think there is probably a sign saying that parking there is a contract and by parking I agree to their rules.

Fair enough, if you follow the rules, so should they and prove breach of contract and the monetary loss incurred.
I always call their bluff on these issues and never pay, as the fine is arbitrary and unlawful.
I'm not trying to persuade you one way or the other, as we live on different continents and laws will not be the same.

I'd follow your tag line, I think it's a good value bet not to pay.