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Rant: Parking ticket in driveway

Started 6 months ago by kayo
Latest reply from Genesee Hill

kayo
Member Profile

I parked in my driveway yesterday, but purposely didn't pull in all the way in order to rake leaves which were covering the driveway and making a big mess. In doing so I blocked the sidewalk which is not something I would normally do. I then took my tantruming 2 year old in the house to feed and nap. When I came out to sweep an hour later, I had a $47 parking ticket on my car (trust me, that hurts my budget). I got the ticket 10 minutes after I parked in my own driveway. Just wanted to warn other folks that the parking police appear to be out in full force these days. I plan to go in and explain the circumstances and hopefully get this reduced, but wanted to warn others to watch how they park even if briefly, in their own driveways.

Posted 6 months ago #
goodgraces
Member Profile

Oh, that bites. What neighborhood do you live in?

Posted 6 months ago #
luckymom30
Member Profile

Are you near a school so it blocked kids from using the sidewalk?

Posted 6 months ago #
Al
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While I am sorry this happened to you it's not that you got a ticket for parking in your driveway, you got a ticket for blocking the public sidewalk (i.e. pedestrian right of way). One of my neighbors does this fairly regularly and it drives me, as a frequent pedestrian, crazy. If they are there for 5-10 min (i.e. raking leaves) fine, but often the car is left there for hours while pedestrians have to walk into the street or up into their driveway and through their yard to walk by. This happens more often than people think, especially if one doesn't walk much. It is a problem.

Posted 6 months ago #
kayo
Member Profile

Yep Al. I agree with you. Drives me nuts when I am out with my kids. I only planned to park there long enough to sweep, but screamypants child got the best of me. I am typically a rule follower, especially with this particular law, which is partly why I found it so frustrating. If I had gone around the back of the house to dig out a shovel, but been delayed for 5 minutes, I would've still gotten the ticket - it happened that quickly. Apparently, you can't park that way EVER even if you have a good reason to do so briefly.

BTW: I live on 26th in north delridge not near a school.

Also find it irritating that there is a car that has been parked poorly on the street without moving for over a week right by my house that did not get ticketed.

Posted 6 months ago #
365Stairs
Member Profile

This is the "new" way Seattle is going to make $.

They are also in neighborhoods ticketing cars that have been parked too long....camper trailers...any number of other things that would not have typically been a target or concern until this enconomy mess thingy...

The message would be better received inside neighborhoods if there were at least a warning ticket...then if you do it again...you have to pay.

Posted 6 months ago #
celeste17
Member Profile

I would ask for arbitration on this ticket. With the city of seattle you write an explination (or reason) why you got the ticket and that you have never done it before and you are aware of the rule and that you won't do it again. Usually they will knock the ticket down in half or dismiss it totally and will tell you to keep your nose clean for 6 months and it will be exsponged (? spelling) from your record. I got a parking ticket last month for parking head into the parking space instead of back in. I knew the other side of the street was back in but I didn't know that this side was (I don't understand why we have back in parking). I was going to protest the ticket but since I saw the sign (faded and kind of hidden) I went ahead and paid it.

Posted 6 months ago #
bailecyclist
Member Profile

Glad to see that SPD is helping make our neighborhoods more pedestrian-friendly. As a regular walker, I find cars parked on sidewalks to be very rude and frustrating.

Posted 6 months ago #
metrognome
Member Profile

as a wheelchair user, cars parked across the sidewalk were the bane of my existence when I lived on Beach Drive and tried to go for walks, since I can't simply step into the street to go around them. If I was on my way home, I would have to backtrack to find a driveway and travel in the street until I could find another driveway to get back on the sidewalk.

that said, I would follow Celeste17's suggestion and appeal. I would guess the parking enforcement officer just happened to be driving by or they were there because of other reports of illegal parking. If you have someone in your neighborhood who parks illegally, you need to call the city. Believe it or not, they don't have the resources to be driving around looking for this kind of stuff.

btw, when I was going to EWSC in Cheney, we had had a lot of snow over a week, so I parked on the wrong side of the residential street with my car facing downhill; got a ticket for being parked more than 12" from the curb ...

Posted 6 months ago #
rockergirl5678
Member Profile

Kayo - bummer that this happened and as noted above you can request a hearing, explain the situation and most likely get reduced or dissmissed. Hassle to do but worth the time. As for faded hidden signs Celeste mentioned above - take pictures and show the judge they will wave the ticket and have the issue addressed (at least in my case it was - no parking "red" strip barely visible and sign hidden in overgrown bushes).
As for the car that has been parked poorly on the street without moving for over a week report it online (https://web1.seattle.gov/police/AbandonedVehicles/Present/AbandonedVehicle.aspx) and they will come out and "give them a warning" notification. If it remains report it again and they will either ticket or tow it. Sometimes those vehicles are stolen cars dropped off after a night of joy riding. http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/parking72hour.htm
Vehicles such as motor homes, boats, cars not in use (I've noticed several cars with covers in my neighborhood being stored on the street)should be stored on your property (alley, parking pad, etc.) or you need to make arrangemenets for offsite storage. There is no reason just because you purchased extra vehicles or personal recreational equipment they should be parked on the city street when not in use. Vehicles over 80 inches (such as RVs, boats, tractor trailers and larger trucks) from parking on most city streets (any street except those adjacent to Manufacturing or Industrial zoning) between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m.) If you can afford to buy then plan to park and pay.

Posted 6 months ago #
goodgraces
Member Profile

FYI -- I have done mitigation several times in the past but in the last year+ have noticed (and have heard others' accounts) that tickets are not being reduced by nearly as much as before, and rarely are they thrown out unless the ticketer was clearly in error. The city is definitely trying to minimize its losses in this regard.

Posted 6 months ago #
bnoyes
Member Profile

This does sound like a bummer, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I kind of like seeing this enforced. I regularly go for walks/runs in my neighborhood and it does bother me when people park their cars like this. I know you weren't intending to leave your car like that, but it only needs to be there a short time in order to be a nuisance, if not a hazard, for a pedestrian.

Posted 6 months ago #
skeeter
Member Profile

Now that I'm pushing a stroller around the neighborhood, the blocked sidewalks drive me nuts. It's a safety concern and I'm glad to see the rules enforced.

Posted 6 months ago #
munchkin22
Member Profile

About 2 weeks ago we pulled into our neighbor's driveway across the street in order to back into ours. Realizing I needed to put away her recycle and garbage cans, I left the truck across the walk for maybe 1.5 minutes when a meter maid pulled up behind me and said I can't be parking across the driveway. I explained what we were doing and she drove off. She was actually in my way of moving my vehicle. We found it odd, as I don't recall ever seeing parking enforcement on our street in 35+ years unless they were called.
Revenue enhancement I guess. BTW, all our vehicles are usually on our own property, and not across the walk, nor in the street.

Posted 6 months ago #
thesonics
Member Profile

$47 just for that. Seems a little unfair to me. With a violation as such, I feel a $25 fee is fair punishment. But $47 for that is a bit too much.

Posted 6 months ago #
Klause
Member Profile

I'm sure while the PEO (Parking Enforcement Officer) was there writing you a ticket that there were at least 5 other cars on your street that were parked illegally by facing the wrong direction. Correct and legal parking is to have the passenger side (right side tire) against the curb. And I'm sure not one of them got ticketed. People get so Lazy that they don't even bother to take just 20 seconds to turn around and face the right direction when parking. With so many cars parked illegally in Seattle, it's hard to tell if you're turning down a one-way street or not. LAZY, just plain Lazy is what it has become.

Posted 6 months ago #
todd_
Member Profile

Yeah, I think if parking enforcement was purely revenue driven, as some people claim, they would enforce more than just blocking sidewalks. I wish they would ticket for parking on the wrong side of the street and for being too close to driveways, and too close to intersections and the list goes on ... It would improve visibility/safety and heck, the city could be practically in the black if they enforced the laws. :)

Posted 6 months ago #
singularname
Member Profile

Usually, Kayo, I'd be "boohoohoo," but I feel ya here given what you describe. (Usually I feel like OPs on this sort of stuff are just making a bunch of unobjective excuses, but I believe ya for whatever reason. :->) I guess I just comment because, this sounds to me like a petty neighbor complaint, and such a neighbor would be the same one to bitch if you didn't rake your leaves.

Anyhoo, sympathies from me.

Posted 6 months ago #
dhg
Member Profile

I got a ticket a couple years ago for "blocking the sidewalk" when, in fact, my bumper was all of 3 inches hanging over the sidewalk. It was manifestly unfair considering cars across the street routinely blocked the entire sidewalk and I've never seen a ticket on those cars.

Just as an aside, if you pay the ticket on the web you will be charged a hefty "convenience" fee. The City has decided that the ability to pay on the web is unfair to all those who don't have internet access and so they charge extra for it even though its vastly more efficient than handling checks.

Posted 6 months ago #
DBP
Member Profile

All I gotta say about this thread is that it had better be retired by Thanksgiving.

Posted 6 months ago #
skeeter
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I didn't realize that parking on the "wrong" side of the street was illegal. Thanks for the tip!

Posted 6 months ago #
Cait
Member Profile

Kayo - the police have been in the area patrolling (we live in your neck of the woods) due to a couple of break ins that have happened recently, so that could explain it. There is definitely more of a presence lately which i am happy about, but I'm sorry you didn't get the chance you needed to move your car. I had a similar experience lately - it's a perfect 50/50 mix of "D'oh!" and "DANG IT!"

Posted 6 months ago #
kayo
Member Profile

Not that anyone cares, lol, but I contested my ticket by mail and found out today that it was dismissed. I am glad to know that the magistrate heard my case and agreed that it was a case of bad timing more than anything. Just wanted to let folks know if they feel they've been wrongly ticketed that it might be worth going through the process of contesting, especially since it can be done by mail. BTW: I have noticed a lot more parking enforcement around in general and I have become extremely careful about where and how I park, so I guess this was a wake up call that worked for me!

Posted 4 months ago #
Pablo Loco
Member Profile

Kayo you are selfish and should of payed the ticket. The world does not revolve around your time or situation. I don't care if your digging for gold, keep your car off the sidewalk, Maybe a little more concern for pedestrians and people in wheelchairs. Its just plain rude and no I would never block a sidewalk

Posted 4 months ago #
MB
Member Profile

Wow Pablo, you sound like a gem yourself. Kayo, for the record, I think I know who you are and from what I understand you are neither rude nor sellfish. You are a great mother and neighbor. There are rules for a reason and like you said, this was a good reminder. You found yourself with a screaming child and you left the car blocking the sidewalk to take your child inside. You don't leave your car there regularly, in fact I don't think I've ever seen it blocking the sidewalk before. I've had to block mine for a few minutes a number of times to unload groceries and I will continue to do so. You followed the process and the ticket was dismissed because you weren't one of those people we all hate that just leave their cars that way for hours on end with no regard for others. In fact, you should be one of Pablo's favorite people now because you will likely never block a sidewalk again for any reason after this. Thanks for being a good neighbor.

Posted 4 months ago #
JoB
Member Profile

pablo loco...

if the ticket was dismissed,
the judge thought there were extenuating circumstances.

you never know when you will find yourself on the other end of extenuating circumstances ...
be thankful that the law allows discretion to judges..

i got a disabled parking violation ticket dismissed in California because i had honestly forgotten to hang my tag in a rental car while i picked up a take-out meal from a restaurant.

i was very grateful for that judge's discretion.

kayo...

you got the ticket 10 minutes after you blocked the sidewalk in your driveway..
but by your own admission you didn't go out to move the car for an hour...

in that hour, anyone who needed to use the sidewalk to pass by your driveway had to go back to the nearest corner, cross the street and use the other side of the street.. perhaps backtracking on your side of the street to reach their destination.

that may seem like no big deal to you..

but imagine you had to do that with your tantrumy child in a stroller because someone left their car blocking the sidewalk.

That no big deal would look very different from the other side of the equation.

I am glad that you didn't have to pay the ticket

but i sincerely hope that you learned a lesson about how important those sidewalks are to those of us who can't just easily detour around your car..

Posted 4 months ago #
Irukandji
Member Profile

Kayo - congrats on the remedy. Now, how to fix a tantruming 2yo?!

Posted 4 months ago #
MB
Member Profile

@ Irukandji, amen to that!

Posted 4 months ago #
Bostonman
Member Profile

People have really become pretty petty apparently. I have been pushing a stroller in my neighborhood with my other 2 kids on bikes or scooters and had to go around a car in a driveway that was blocking the sidewalk. I didn't bitch, or get all worked up. I simply went around it with the stroller. Whether that means I went off the curb or over there grass I just did it. No complaining, no bitching. Sometimes life is to short to sweat the small stuff and if this is something people are complaining about they have too much time on their hands.

Posted 4 months ago #
JoB
Member Profile

Bostonman...

you are a grown presumably healthy man pushing a stroller.

but what if you were a disabled person who could only negotiate going around that car with great difficulty..

or who had to double their distance in a wheelchair?

you would find it a much bigger deal than you do now.

I know
because this former athlete now lives the reality that sometimes makes cars parked across sidewalks insurmountable obstacles...

some days, for me, what is an annoyance for you is a very big deal indeed.

Posted 4 months ago #
Bostonman
Member Profile

Good way to get some exercise. The point is of all the things going on in life sometimes the healthy alternative is to just breathe and relax and not let so many things bother you.

At work if I am stressed I just take my shoes off and walk around the office. It feels invigorating and it helps me handle the stress rather than walking around in a grumpy mood.

Posted 4 months ago #
JoB
Member Profile

Bostonman..

LOL.. my first response is to call you an arrogant ... fill in the blank..

but i am guessing you can tap dance around the office without even raising your heart rate...

and have never noticed how many people use the grocery carts at the grocery stores as walkers.

i too was once that blissfully unaware of how exhausting a few steps could be..
or that being unable to find a parking space within yards of my destination would mean that i wouldn't be able to go...
or that being able to lean on a wall or catch my breath on a bench would become so important to my life...

i would have never thought i would need to check out the location of the public restroom before shopping either...

but there you go.

Posted 4 months ago #
kayo
Member Profile

Thanks for sticking up for me, MB!

Wow, there are some really angry folks out there. Glad you can judge me and decide I am a jerk without even knowing me. I will try not to do that to you. Sheesh!

Before this happened, I never blocked the sidewalk unless doing a chore like this. As I said, I learned my lesson and not only don't block the sidewalk anywhere I go, but also park with great care and concern (which is always true and is why it upset me so much when this happened).

I hope this thread also has served to educate others to park more carefully. That was one of my goals in posting this originally. I didn't even know that I could be ticketed for this and now I, and hopefully a lot of other people will be more aware and careful about how they park.

Cheers and good luck parking out there!

Posted 4 months ago #
KatherineL
Member Profile

kayo, thanks for posting the follow up to your original post. I was interested in it then and wondered what would happen if you contested it. I'm glad it worked out well for you.

Posted 4 months ago #
Betty T
Member Profile

Sorry you had to deal with the ticket "and a 2-year-old having a tantrum". I am a senior and navigate fairly well but have friends who use wheelchairs, scooters or walkers and a blocked sidewalk could cause a hazard for them. I'm not b----ing but stating a fact.

As to the complaint about a car parked on the street more than 24 hrs. if reported it'll be towed. We've done that near where I live because parking on our neighborhood streets is cramped anyway.

we also met with a city representative about marking the corners in front of our building because we quite often have emergency vehicles have to park there. We asked for the 20 ft. rule but got about 4 ft on both sides all four corners with a traffic circle. I wouldn't want my car sticking out at such a cramped intersection.I don't think anyone pays attenttion to the 20 ft rule for corners or drivewys anywhere. Last year I did see an officer ticketing an suv parked going down Morgan and the rear was blocking the sidewalk. They'd make a fortune if they caught everyone who does it anywhere.Sidewalks are made wheelchair accessible at corners for ease of traveling.
The police have far more important things to do than drive around looking but occasionally happen along.

Be careful where you park and deffinitely care for your little one.

Posted 4 months ago #
metrognome
Member Profile

BM ... maybe you should park your butt in a wheelchair for a few days and try getting around in WS when there are a few cars parked across the sidewalk. I can guarantee that if your car is blocking my access to a public sidewalk, you'll be needing a compressor to pump up at least one of your tires (ya gotta keep an eye on those valve stems as they tend to loosen up in this wet weather) ... unless you know another convenient source of hot air ...

Posted 4 months ago #
kootchman
Member Profile

Metrognome? When did you become bullet proof?

Posted 4 months ago #
charlabob
Member Profile

Oh good -- real forum wars, no more of this sissy word stiff. I'm with metro -- lemme know if you need seconds. I'm pretty sure many of us will line up. I can bring an icepick or something stronger. :-)

Posted 4 months ago #
Bostonman
Member Profile

I love internet fights. My bet is you don't have the guts to do it or deal with the outcome. Either way call me whatever names you want. I know what I am and what I am not. I am someone who doesn't get high blood pressure over every little thing. If you are going to threaten my property then be prepared to back it up.

Posted 4 months ago #
JoB
Member Profile

bostonman...

what i hear you saying is
my property
your problem
get over it..

i heard metrognome say
park where you want
but if your car blocks the sidewalk
be prepared to find the hot air in your tires escaping

what i heard charlabob say

rumble
where?
i'm in

Posted 4 months ago #
metrognome
Member Profile

kman -- I've been bull*hit proof for years. It's a job requirement when you work customer service, esp for a government.

Just so ya know, the PUBLIC sidewalk in front of your house is not part of your property; it is city property. It is also a thoroughfare for pedestrians. In fact, much of what you think is *your* property is in fact the property of the city, esp the part between the sidewalk and the street. City Right of Way is measured from the center of the street and extends a lot further than most people realize ("Right of way is the strip of land platted, dedicated, condemned, established by prescription or otherwise legally established for the use of pedestrians, vehicles or utilities." from the city ROW manual http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/rowmanual/)

You might want to have *your* property surveyed before you shoot anyone. I'm guessing you will have an epiphany some day when you break your leg skiing or get old or have someone in your family who acquires a mobility disability. Then you will be a born again disability civil rights expert and you'll buy a bunch of ice picks with the international access logo emblazoned on the handle for use in similar situations. Or, you'll just shoot their tires out.

Posted 4 months ago #
Betty T
Member Profile

If the sidewalk is city property why was I told several years back, when I complained over my tripping and falling on a bad sidewalk that the owners have to maintain it?

Posted 4 months ago #
Bostonman
Member Profile

Thanks for the recap JoB, I wasn't able to figure it out on my own. Not sure what the purpose of you repeating what you think you heard someone say. I guess maybe to add some kind of validity or maybe defend the statement. Don't know.

I looked back at all my posts and sure enough no where did I say it was legal to block the sidewalk. I said that you will reduce your stress if you don't let everything bother you.

Now, if for some reason my car did block the sidewalk and you took matters into your own hands then we are going to have a problem. Thats a job for the parking authority, not you. Call them and complain but my guess is they are doing something that actually matters.

Posted 4 months ago #
luckymom30
Member Profile

Betty T - Property owners are responsible for maintaining the sidewalks adjacent to their property. They must make sure snow and ice does not pose a hazard to pedestrians. They must also repair cracks and other damage.

If a property owner installs a new concrete sidewalk, the owner or the contractor must obtain a Street Use Permit to make sure the walkway meets the City's current standards, including wheelchair ramps at street corners and proper drainage of the street area.

Posted 4 months ago #
sydney
Member Profile

This is really bad, when you can't even do a chore--ostensibly doing 'the right thing'--without monetary punishment by the city, and shunning by your neighbors. There ought to be a time frame involved; and if you can't sympathize with a homeowner doing their best to be responsible, then up your chimney.

Posted 4 months ago #
Cait
Member Profile

What is all the bickering about?! Is it sport now? No one here is saying that it's OK to block a sidewalk. We all know why we shouldn't - people need to use it and they are not all able to navigate as easily as most of us. It's unfair to them, that's why we don't do it. Notice that I am paraphrasing the person who actually did this. In my mind that's a lesson learned and bravo.

The one person that did has learned their lesson and said so. I am no longer surprised that people don't apologize or take responsiblity for their actions anymore. Kayo made a brave step by admitting they were wrong and then the browbeating continues from people who were unaffected in THIS situation. If you see a problem, take steps to solve it. That's what we're on this planet to do. But you won't accomplish anything by browbeating someone who ALREADY KNOWS THEY'RE WRONG - it looks like a cat batting around a dying mouse in terms of ego and any half a care I could have given before is now out the window because of it; it looks downright cruel. Maybe ya'll should be more worried about the molehills you're turning into mountains and the impediment they would cause to leading a life with a decent blood pressure instead of one care in one driveway for an hour that has since caused a lesson to be learned. Win/win for all.

Posted 4 months ago #
kootchman
Member Profile

Metro... you talk trash... woof tickets. You made the threat to vandalize.. blowhard talk. I didn't disagree that blocking the sidewalk was wrong. and ometimes expediency and circumstances mean a little infraction now and then,,,. but you better get mobility enhancements if you intend to flatten tires... but if only kryptonite is your mortal enemy rave on dude. I would never use deadly force for such a trivial issue.. it was a jibe dude.. simmer down.

Posted 4 months ago #
metrognome
Member Profile

kman -- thanks for the laughs...I assume you were looking in the mirror when you were typing and accidentally typed my name instead of yours.

You did use the word, 'bulletproof', did you not?

Posted 4 months ago #
adidasguy
Member Profile

Parking enforcement is really a joke. Glad the finally gave a ticket for parking on the sidewalk. You could have parked in the street!

Lazy people - parking on sidewalks, on wrong side of street. I have been nearly hit head on when I move to the right to let someone pass only to be nearly hit head on because the lazy ass wants to park on the wrong side - not bother to turn around or park correctly. These idiots NEVER get tickets! Sometimes 50% of cars are parked illegally.

Driving or biking at night is a hazard because cars do not have reflectors on the front. Hard to see them when they park the wrong way.

I really hate it when I walk and have to go in the street to walk around these inconsiderate people who park across the sidewalk.

$47 is a minimal price for laziness. Park legally in the street next time.

Posted 4 months ago #
Genesee Hill
Member Profile

adidasguy,

I swore off posting on WSB because at times I got carried away. But, you are 100 per cent correct. Sidewalks are for pedestrians, roads are for cars. AMEN.

Now, hopefully, I will go back to my promise (to myself) of not posting on WSB. Though, I will tell you, it is a tough habit to break. Tougher than quitting smoking, by a long shot...

Posted 4 months ago #