dc parking

[gsh]

I parked downtown last night. It was 7pm, and the sticker on the meter said "2 hour parking 7am to 6:30pm". When I got done from the event it was 10pm, and I had a ticket timestamped 8:44pm. What *ARE* the rules for parking in DC after 7pm?

Comments

[dckermit.livejournal.com]

From what I've seen over the years, the rules are that parking tickets are a significant part of DC's revenue stream and every ticket is like free money to DC. I know of someone whose car was towed recently for being parked in a residential zone -- a zone for which she was displaying valid zone stickers. They waived the ticket and the impound fee, but not the towing charge; after all, her car HAD been towed and SOMEONE had to pay for it!

Over the years I ve seen cars ticketed when there was still time on the meter, ticketed for being parked in zoned area for which no signs were posted anywhere on the block...

DC simply doesn't want people coming into town. And much of the time I oblige them.

[make-your-move.livejournal.com]

The times have been changed to 10pm at night ...but they haven't posted the new signage yet.

It happened to us about a month ago. Sorry babe.

[gsh]

Any idea if I can fight this?

[dckermit.livejournal.com]

In theory, if you take photos to show that neither the meter nor signs in the area indicated the new hours, you should be able to challenge it on the grounds of insufficient notice. It might even work. However, I know of people who have tried, and all the judge did was consult DC's parking policy for that area and uphold the ticket. Plus it'll cost you a half day off work and court costs. Maybe you'll get a saner judge.

[make-your-move.livejournal.com]

Both Kermit and Sas are right on this one. While it sucks and it's deceitful - I just paid the $25 bucks and let it go. It wasn't worth the hassle.

Good luck if you decide to fight it though!

[gsh]

Yea, while highly annoyed, I'm probably just going to mail in a check.

[webqatch.livejournal.com]

You can try, but it'll fail. There's a red sticker that's on most of the meters around there telling you that

DDOT has also changed the hours of enforcement for parking meters in the city’s busiest commercial districts where on-street parking is often scarce. Nighttime parking enforcement hours was extended to 10 pm in the following “premium demand zones:

Quote from DDOT's website

[gsh]

I'm pretty sure there was not a red sticker on the meter I parked in front of.

[webqatch.livejournal.com]

I can count the number of spots in the area that don't have said red sticker without using my toes.

While it's possible that yours was a mistake, I'd not hold my breath. When's the next time you'll be in the area to be able to double-check?

[gsh]

I have no idea when I'll be in that area again. How many microns in diameter did you say that sticker was?

[webqatch.livejournal.com]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/10/AR2010031003759.html

It's the sticker at the bottom that looks orange in the photo but I have in my head is actually red.

[gsh]

The meter I parked in front did have a orange sticker, but by some strange event the orange sticker only mentions Saturday
as charging till 10. The green mentions Monday to Friday till 6:30.

I'm shocked, shocked that DC would put inaccurate stickers on their meters.

[fatesfolly.livejournal.com]

And thus is the reason I no longer bother with going downtown on Tuesday nights.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[lizkayl.livejournal.com]

Off topic- happy birthday?

[gsh]

Thank you. Birthday wishes are never off topic. :)

[vvalkyri.livejournal.com]

You have to look for a sticker on the meter. I was pleasantly surprised to have found one where both the sign and the meter said they only enforced until 6:30.

One would think, most of a year in, they would have gotten around to changing the signs, but that is probably counterproductive re revenue streams.

Even more fun when they change the rules and there are no meters but instead paybooths.

(whispers)

[soubrettic.livejournal.com]

(happy birthday!)