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1. lonelyicefloe
   Member Profile

   I didn't get a ticket, but some neighbors did. There was a parking enforcer on 35th and Elmgrove today issuing tickets for cars parked the wrong direction and resident's moving trailers parked on the street. Yes, it can be annoying sometimes to weave through parked cars, but this is not an arterial and isn't a busy street. The only people it bugs are those of us who live here, and it's our cars on the street so.... Guess it's just my first experience of a parking cop in a residential area.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

2. Bonnie
   Member Profile

   I've seen them going around my neighborhood too. Wish they'd give a ticket to the jerk who parks his car in the alley and blocks the alley though. What's wrong with parking the wrong way? That's just plain stupid.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

3. austin
   Member Profile

   

   Sounds like an outstanding use of city resources.. :/

   Posted 3 years ago #         

4. Anonymous
   Member Profile

   A residential area usually involves a complaint. One of your neighbors must not agree with you.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

5. mike0323
   Member Profile

   Yeah the parking person never comes unless someone complains. They also usually only hit the car that was complained about, ignoring any others that are in violation.

   This is the first i've heard of them enforcing the cars parked the wrong way rule... I thought that was un-enforced in Seattle?

   Posted 3 years ago #         

6. pigeonmom
   Member Profile

   

   In '04 I was cited for parking the "wrong direction". It was a cruiser in blue that did it, not a complaint. I was the only one to get a ticket on my block despite other wrong way parkers. I had an anti Bush sticker, that's why.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

7. Ken
   Member Profile

   

   Wrong way parking has been illegal since forever and it is a hazard even (perhaps especially) on narrow residential streets.

   Yes parking enforcement is usually complaint driven but if they get enough complaints they can focus on a neighborhood.

   It could also be something as simple as a parking enforcement officer moving into your neighborhood and snagging the low hanging fruit on the way back from lunch.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

8. Ken
   Member Profile

   

   I have called in construction workers blocking my driveway and seen another dozen tickets handed out for 30ft violations, wrong way, expired tabs and obstructing a hydrant.

   The construction workers when highpoint was building had ignored notes and complaints to supervisors and the traffic enforcement officer felt it was time to send a message after talking to several other residents.

   It fixed the problem.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

9. BobLoblaw
   Member Profile

   

   How is it a hazard? Just curious, not looking to fight ...

   Posted 3 years ago #         

10. JimmyG
    Member Profile

    

    Bob I think it's a hazard for 2 reasons.

    1. Wrong way parkers when pulling out into the lane of travel are coming from the "wrong" side of the street.
    2. Cars parked the wrong way don't show up at night. The rear of most cars have lighting that your headlights will catch on and illuminate, not so on the front of cars.

    Believe me, the PEO's are only in your neighborhood writing tickets because one of your neighbors filed a complaint. PEO's are complaint driven, not proactive.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

11. Bonnie
    Member Profile

    A few years ago I was dropping my son off at school and a parent pulled up to drop their kid off. They pulled over facing the wrong way and stayed in the car. A policeman came by, ticketed them for parking wrong way (although he was not parked, just dropping off) AND he also ticketed the driver for driving on the wrong side of the street!

    Posted 3 years ago #         

12. dhg
    Member Profile

    

    Parking wrong way is very dangerous for this reason: If as you pull out, an oncoming car hits you, it's a headon collision. What would have been a minor sideswipe is now a dead-stop crunch.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

13. Sue
    Member Profile

    

    Who do we call to complain about cars parked where they shouldn't be? On our side street we have cars parking way too close to the stop sign (which is causing problems when people turn onto the street quickly and we've had a few near-misses), and on another nearby street there's someone who regularly parks next to a hydrant, which is blocking visibility when you try to turn onto the street, not to mention being a hazard of parking next to a hydrant.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

14. JenV
    Member Profile

    

    

    Posted 3 years ago #         

15. cruiser
    Member Profile

    

    JenV, love it! Wasn't that in the movie backdraft too?

    Posted 3 years ago #         

16. Ken
    Member Profile

    

    This guy seems to be working on a comprehensive conspiracy theory concerning parking in his neighborhood, but he has some pretty good evidence.

    http://www.truth-or-consequences.com/bad_government/more_seattle_corruption/seattle_corrupt.html

    Sure he is a bit over the top but I am not sure I blame him. The random seeming nature of parking enforcement should be expected to set some people off as density and egregious regular parking violations we all see all over this city increase.

    I found this looking for the parking enforcement web page which I am pretty sure exist, or did once...
    This PR site is all I find now.
    http://www.seattle.gov/police/units/traffic/PEO.htm

    The general info page still has the phone number, so snag it before it gets hidden.

    To report illegal parking
    (Seattle Police Department)
    206-625-5011

    Which seems to be the city wide non emergency number with its byzantine labyrinth of interlocking voicemail trees.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

17. JimmyG
    Member Profile

    

    Thanks Ken, that website is rich! Dude needs to let go.

    If anyone out there thinks all traffic & parking enforcement is handed out fairly then they desrve to be frustrated by the system. It's enforced randomly, there's no other way to do it. Not every person who is committing minor violations of the law will be held accountable.

    He got caught, got a ticket and can't let go.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

18. alki_2008
    Member Profile

    

    Is it still considered 'wrong way parking' if the residential street has parking only on one side of it, and there's only one real lane of traffic? My street only has parking on one side and it's not a one-way street, so there isn't really a 'direction of traffic'. It's going to take a detour all the way around the block (since the street's not wide enough to make a u-turn) to get my car in position to park on the passenger side of the street. Ick!

    Posted 3 years ago #         

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