If only the Philadelphia parking authority would do something like this. I once got a ticket while I still had time and the meter maid said "well I already typed it, you'll have to fight it". They also don't care if the meter doesn't work. Plus the tickets are like $80 if you wait more than 15 days to pay. I really dislike this system of for-profit law.

IamPatSajak: I once got a ticket while I still had time and the meter maid said "well I already typed it, you'll have to fight it".

I hope you fought one of the two.

Someone once had a better solution to parking meter problems...

IamPatSajak: I really dislike this system of for-profit law.

Me too. It forces law enforcement officers to become predators.

I also dislike Atlanta. That place is a giant covert race war.

Meter maids eat their young.
/had too

ArkAngel: I'd be further upset about a city councilman named "Kwanza"

ZAZ: Citations may not be issued... Where meters are non-functioning.

No, when the meter is nonfunctional you blow up the car to remind the driver not to break the meter next time. Unless Atlanta isn't one of the places where meters are broken deliberately to get free parking.

You are the law?

I thought you'd say that.

So..if signage is missing or defaced, you can't get a ticket? A little post-ticket vandalism saves you $50. Or preventative Vandalism saves you a couple of bucks on parking.

A city I used to live in had residential street sweeping from 7am to 11am on (if I remember right) Tuesday mornings. If you were parked on a residential street during those times, you'd get a ticket. Even if you parked after the street sweeper had obviously already been through. You could tell from the wet stripe it left. The timing was obviously designed to nail as many people as possible. If they'd wanted to minimize impact, they would have started the time at 9am so most people would be at work. A 7am start time falls right in the middle of getting the kids ready for school and getting ready for work. And ticketing people who parked after the sweeper had already gone by was a total dick move. I don't live there any more.

The city I lived in before that did it right. They cleaned business districts in the early morning hours and residential in the middle of the day. If a car happened to be parked on the street, they'd just go around it. The logic being that they'd get that spot next week because it was very unlikely that the same spot would be blocked two weeks in a row. If someone did have a car that sat in the same spot for weeks, the first action was to leave a note asking them to please move their vehicle at least once a week so they can clean the area.

/CSB

i don't know how it is in atlanta, but here (ft worth) and every place i've lived, broken meter = illegal to park there.

never before now have i thought about what if i park there, it's functioning, i put money in and go on about my business, but while i'm gone and on my paid parking time, someone or something breaks my meter?

honestly i don't remember the last time i parked in a metered space, anyway, so this probably won't be an issue for me

Covert race war? Hmm, must be really covert because this is the most integrated place I've ever lived in. Of course, I'm not counting cities north and south of Atlanta. Those are not so covert.

Also, I can't wait for the black flag Occutard Anarchists to sabotage every single meter in the city. That being said, ParkAtlanta deserves every single piece of hate they receive.

Cheeseface: Covert race war? Hmm, must be really covert because this is the most integrated place I've ever lived in. Of course, I'm not counting cities north and south of Atlanta. Those are not so covert.

Also, I can't wait for the black flag Occutard Anarchists to sabotage every single meter in the city. That being said, ParkAtlanta deserves every single piece of hate they receive.

atlanta (actually one of its suburbs to the north...marietta, maybe) is the ONLY place i've been in the usa that had bilingual signage throughout walmart...and i live in texas where one might expect that.

jtown: A city I used to live in had residential street sweeping from 7am to 11am on (if I remember right) Tuesday mornings. If you were parked on a residential street during those times, you'd get a ticket. Even if you parked after the street sweeper had obviously already been through. You could tell from the wet stripe it left. The timing was obviously designed to nail as many people as possible. If they'd wanted to minimize impact, they would have started the time at 9am so most people would be at work. A 7am start time falls right in the middle of getting the kids ready for school and getting ready for work. And ticketing people who parked after the sweeper had already gone by was a total dick move. I don't live there any more.

The city I lived in before that did it right. They cleaned business districts in the early morning hours and residential in the middle of the day. If a car happened to be parked on the street, they'd just go around it. The logic being that they'd get that spot next week because it was very unlikely that the same spot would be blocked two weeks in a row. If someone did have a car that sat in the same spot for weeks, the first action was to leave a note asking them to please move their vehicle at least once a week so they can clean the area.

/CSB

The city workers must have a great union there. They sweep the streets once a year in the Spring here and I suspect they only do that to recover the gravel they dump on the roads in the Winter. I guess they need the extra ticket money to pay for all the street cleaning.

We need a constitutional amendment.

"No government entity may use any funds which were not obtained through taxation of the residents in its jurisdiction to fund its operation. All fines, fees, tariffs and any other forms of non-tax revenue are to be distributed as refunds to the citizens."

Under this regime fines still function as penalties for breaking rules and fees still encourage reasonable use of government services. The difference is that there would no longer be a profit motive in law enforcement and politicians couldn't end-run the citizens by claiming they aren't raising taxes when they raise the fees and fines for everything.

Anyone involved in "parking enforcement" (tow druck drivers, meter maids, etc) is a scumbag, bottom feeder.

The worst "enforcement" is usually near college campuses. I once had a tow truck put my car on the rack less than a minute after my meter ran out. He had actually sat in front of the meter until it ran out of time. I had to pay that meth head arsehole $100 cash to get him to take it off the tow. What a racket.

A few years ago I worked for the company that was awarded the contract to handle Atlanta's parking meter and boot/tow program.

Apparently Atlanta only had 2 people handling the meters for the entire city, so it had been YEARS since many meters were enforced. Holy shiate were people pissed off when all of a sudden they couldn't ignore an expired meter.

But I thought privatization always made everything better?

Kyro: PARKAtlanta has a really bad reputation.

That's what happens when you outsource to private companies to uphold the law. No different than redlight camera companies. (in that they and their owners should be shot out of a cannon into the sun)

bungle_jr: Cheeseface: Covert race war? Hmm, must be really covert because this is the most integrated place I've ever lived in. Of course, I'm not counting cities north and south of Atlanta. Those are not so covert.

Also, I can't wait for the black flag Occutard Anarchists to sabotage every single meter in the city. That being said, ParkAtlanta deserves every single piece of hate they receive.

atlanta (actually one of its suburbs to the north...marietta, maybe) is the ONLY place i've been in the usa that had bilingual signage throughout walmart...and i live in texas where one might expect that.

It's much more common depending on area and shop, but you're right, it's still not full bilingual. Most big stores have signs in English/Spanish now though, for directions etc.

PARKAtlanta gave me a ticket about 6 months ago which was a bummer because I was a few minutes late getting back to feed the meter. I'm not complaining as I was in the wrong, but I miss the old days before PARKAtlanta and I would park where ever the fark I wanted and never get a ticket.

Atlanta was better when people were too scared to come here.

Yeah, Phillie. I once got a ticket for parking in a spot that had a sign about 35 feet in the air (no exageration) that said firehouse entrance. The nearest firehouse was 4 blocks away. There was a sweater store where the sign was.

I hate parking in the city. Atlanta has been screwed up about parking for years. ParkAtlanta was actually sold as a solution to the crappy situation that existed before when the city managed the tickets themselves.

Adam Carolla has a great point about city government (he is talking about LA but it applies everywhere): If there is money in it, the city is on top of it. If not, they do not give a shiat no matter how little effort would be required to improve things. They can find a way to give you a ticket 30 seconds after the meter runs out because there is revenue in it. They can set up Click it or Ticket roadblocks all day long. But things like timing traffic lights, fixing pot holes or reasonable speed limits? Nope. Can't do it.

Parking in downtown Atlanta SUCKS. It has always SUCKED and always will SUCK. I always take the train.

What's the racial breakdown of the meter maids? Just curious.

True story: My mom once got a ticket for parking in a bus stop, except the bus stop wasn't there when she parked they actually had put the sign up while the car was there. She was able to fight it and win but it was a hassle.

KrispyKritter: IamPatSajak: If only the Philadelphia parking authority would do something like this. I once got a ticket while I still had time and the meter maid said "well I already typed it, you'll have to fight it". They also don't care if the meter doesn't work. Plus the tickets are like $80 if you wait more than 15 days to pay. I really dislike this system of for-profit law.

my car was ticketed legally parked in my driveway. contested it in court, judge dismissed it, i had to pay 'cost of court' = 3/4 of what the ticket was. did nothing wrong. nice work if you can get it.

law and order for the most part is not justice and fairness. it is screwing as many commoners out of as much money as possible day after day.

The Philly Court of Common Pleas is slowly starting to crack down on the PPA. We'll see how it goes. Currently the PPA is just ignoring the ruling against it re: due process. We'll see how that works out. The CCP is only slightly less corrupt than the PPA.

From the comments I'm reading, some of yall have never watched "Parking Wars" on A&E,lol!

JackieRabbit: Parking in downtown Atlanta SUCKS. It has always SUCKED and always will SUCK. I always take the train.

Downtown? You can park at State or the SunTrust building. It's like $3. State is probably the easiest.

ilgette: Come to New Orleans, can't fix the damn streets, can't solve the murder epidemic, but hey we sure can ticket, tow or boot your car!! I have been told " too bad I already started writing it, so you have to go fight it...." I don't miss being a copier tech and covering the French Quarter and Downtown.

Same thing happened to me with the new meters in New Orleans. I realized the one on my side of the block was broken after I used my credit card to purchase a ticket for my dash. So I walk across the street to buy another ticket to place on my dash from the meter on that side of the street. As I'm walking back, the meter maid tells me: you left your car unattended - you'll have to go fight it. Woman - I have to walk 25 feet to use the nearest meter - how in the hell am I *not* going to leave my car unattended? MM: that's not my problem - you have to go fight it.
yeah - like I'm going to take the day off to fight this ticket.
They know this and write tickets endlessly. I swear, they have to take a biotch test to be a meter maid. Or maybe they just hire these people as they are released from prison. I honestly think this chick would have cut me if I'd continued to argue with her about it.

BolshyGreatYarblocks: What's the racial breakdown of the meter maids? Just curious.

It doesn't matter, but this city's last white mayor was defeated 3 years before Elvis died if that helps.

If you visit Asheville, some of our parking meter folks will find a car that has about 2-3 minutes remaining on the meter, sit there and time it, and at about t-30 seconds, they'll start making out the ticket.. They do that around the courthouse, and downtown an awful lot.

Have also seen them ticket cars parked in front of busted meters, and take the little bags off the meter.

//City of Asheville is lousy that way..

Dadbart: Yeah, Phillie. I once got a ticket for parking in a spot that had a sign about 35 feet in the air (no exageration) that said firehouse entrance. The nearest firehouse was 4 blocks away. There was a sweater store where the sign was.

I call BS as most street light davits are a maximum 30 feet tall.

/crappy signs that make no sense suck though

metallion: If you visit Asheville, some of our parking meter folks will find a car that has about 2-3 minutes remaining on the meter, sit there and time it, and at about t-30 seconds, they'll start making out the ticket.. They do that around the courthouse, and downtown an awful lot.

Have also seen them ticket cars parked in front of busted meters, and take the little bags off the meter.

//City of Asheville is lousy that way..

can you please explain the highlighted parts? is it legal to park at busted meters in asheville? what does taking the bag off change?

Downtown Atlanta kinda blows, with the Bum Park next to Georgia State, not much to do, etc. Particularly galling is the "All Taxi Rides are $10" even if you are literally going 1 block from the hotel in a rain storm to to the nearest MARTA train stop.

/yeah, yeah, csb

Hell, Chicago sends out tickets to people haven't even been there for years, if ever. I suppose it is a good tourism technique. While you're here fighting that ticket please visit some of our many attractions.

Dadbart: Yeah, Phillie. I once got a ticket for parking in a spot that had a sign about 35 feet in the air (no exageration) that said firehouse entrance. The nearest firehouse was 4 blocks away. There was a sweater store where the sign was.

Martonio: Dadbart: Yeah, Phillie. I once got a ticket for parking in a spot that had a sign about 35 feet in the air (no exageration) that said firehouse entrance. The nearest firehouse was 4 blocks away. There was a sweater store where the sign was.

I call BS as most street light davits are a maximum 30 feet tall.

/crappy signs that make no sense suck though

yeah i call bs on the height...35 ft is incredibly high for any sort of signage meant to be read on a street. i believe wholeheartedly there could be a sign that was deceptively high up, but 35 ft? doubtful

once in frankfurt germany i got my car towed late at night. i had rushed to the city from ramstein to go to a concert. i didn't know till that day that my shift leader would let me go early from work, but he did, so i drove fast as i could up there, and rushed to find a parking spot near the venue so i could have enough time to find a scalper to buy a ticket from

so, i came out of the concert later, went to find my car...didn't see it...got panicky...realized i was parked on the next street over

walked over to the next street, still didn't see my car...looked up, and probably about 12 ft up there was a sign in front of where i had parked "handicapped parking, tow away zone". i swear the sign was a good 3 or 4 ft higher than other signs!

BUT NOT 35 F'ING FEET UP!

at any rate, no matter how high that sign was, it was my fault for being in such a rush and not paying attention. costly sleepless night, that was! had to get a taxi to take me to the impound lot, which thankfully was open for me to pay them and leave in my car.

next time i went to that venue i realized they had underground parking, extremely convenient and inexpensive

bungle_jr: metallion: If you visit Asheville, some of our parking meter folks will find a car that has about 2-3 minutes remaining on the meter, sit there and time it, and at about t-30 seconds, they'll start making out the ticket.. They do that around the courthouse, and downtown an awful lot.

Have also seen them ticket cars parked in front of busted meters, and take the little bags off the meter.

//City of Asheville is lousy that way..

can you please explain the highlighted parts? is it legal to park at busted meters in asheville? what does taking the bag off change?

I always figured the meters that didn't work were busted. I don't know if it's the meter maids or someone else who will put a little out of service bag, (bright orange) , over the meter. As far as whether or not it's legal to park in front of one, I honestly have no idea. I've seen cars that were parked in front of those bagged meters in the morning still be there in the afternoon without a ticket, so I assumed it was legal. I've just seen the meter maids pull those bags off the meter and throw them in their little truck, after the ticket was placed under the windshield wiper. I don't know if that's standard practice, or if it is limited to a select few meter readers.

This is from the same town that ticketed the bikers who were doing the Toys for Tots thing on a Saturday afternoon a few years ago.

I grew up here.. it's changed an awful lot, and not for the better.

RembrandtQEinstein: We need a constitutional amendment.

"No government entity may use any funds which were not obtained through taxation of the residents in its jurisdiction to fund its operation. All fines, fees, tariffs and any other forms of non-tax revenue are to be distributed as refunds to the citizens."

Under this regime fines still function as penalties for breaking rules and fees still encourage reasonable use of government services. The difference is that there would no longer be a profit motive in law enforcement and politicians couldn't end-run the citizens by claiming they aren't raising taxes when they raise the fees and fines for everything.

Yeah,.. no. This would be great for like a week's worth of refunds, but then taxes would double/triple across the board. You've made the payments to the city go away, but not the costs. I'd rather see the costs get paid by folks who get fined for not doing what they're supposed to be doing.

metallion: bungle_jr: metallion: If you visit Asheville, some of our parking meter folks will find a car that has about 2-3 minutes remaining on the meter, sit there and time it, and at about t-30 seconds, they'll start making out the ticket.. They do that around the courthouse, and downtown an awful lot.

Have also seen them ticket cars parked in front of busted meters, and take the little bags off the meter.

//City of Asheville is lousy that way..

can you please explain the highlighted parts? is it legal to park at busted meters in asheville? what does taking the bag off change?

I always figured the meters that didn't work were busted. I don't know if it's the meter maids or someone else who will put a little out of service bag, (bright orange) , over the meter. As far as whether or not it's legal to park in front of one, I honestly have no idea. I've seen cars that were parked in front of those bagged meters in the morning still be there in the afternoon without a ticket, so I assumed it was legal. I've just seen the meter maids pull those bags off the meter and throw them in their little truck, after the ticket was placed under the windshield wiper. I don't know if that's standard practice, or if it is limited to a select few meter readers.

This is from the same town that ticketed the bikers who were doing the Toys for Tots thing on a Saturday afternoon a few years ago.

I grew up here.. it's changed an awful lot, and not for the better.

still doesn't explain what bagged vs non-bagged busted meter means in regards to the legality of parking in said space. if it's legal to park at a busted meter, it's legal with or without a bag. if it's illegal, it's illegal with or without the bag.

if it is functioning meter that the meter maid put a bag on to lure someone to park, then they remove the bag and ticket them for not paying the functioning meter, then that meter maid should be shot between the eyes with a staple gun