Parking policies greedy and mindless
Joe Grindon, Denver
Sunday, May 11, 2008
It is springtime, and Denver is sweeping the streets again.
I was rushing to meet a friend for lunch in the Highland Square retail area at 32nd Avenue and Lowell Boulevard.
Parking is scarce. As I pulled onto Meade Street, there were many parking spots available on the east side of the street. There was also evidence that a street sweeper had just recently been by. I assumed that, since the street sweeping had been completed, it would be OK to park there. I was wrong.
After less than two hours, I returned to my vehicle to discover a parking ticket. Not only that, as I walked to my vehicle, I saw a parking enforcement agent making yet another sweep down the street to write even more tickets.
While it is true that I broke the letter of the law, I did not break its intent. Am I guilty? Yes; there is no way around that. Will the city benefit from this kind of law enforcement in the long run? Not at all. The city will get my $25 fine payment. It will also get my loss of respect for its enforcement policies.
This kind of law enforcement only breeds disrespect. It is greedy, mindless and ultimately produces negative results.
Thank you, Mayor John Hickenlooper. If memory serves, you first campaigned on a theme of kinder and gentler parking policies.
Post your comment
Registration is required. Click here to create your free user account, or login below.
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.
May 12, 2008
5:32 a.m.
Suggest removal
glowrock writes:
You admitted you're guilty, just leave it at that, Joe. I suggest you pay attention to the signs next time.
May 12, 2008
6:20 a.m.
Suggest removal
a_watcher writes:
Yes glowrock, like you, I'm in favor of mindless law enforcement.
May 12, 2008
6:41 a.m.
Suggest removal
Earl writes:
hey they need the money and you should be glad they didnt charge you 50 bucks to park on the clean side of the street.
May 12, 2008
7:18 a.m.
Suggest removal
glowrock writes:
It's not mindless law enforcement, a_watcher. The parking signs clearly say not to park on that side of the street. This guy did it anyway, knowing full well that the sign said not to. He got busted. No harm, no foul.
Next time, read the signs, and pay attention to them.
May 12, 2008
7:19 a.m.
Suggest removal
Froward69 writes:
Police routinely use their digression to enforce the law. parking Nazis have no aptitude to have any sympathy for those like you (and me) who parked your car after the street sweepers have gone. fairness would allow you to park after the street sweepers have gone by. but the parking enforcers have no sense of fairness.
May 12, 2008
8:19 a.m.
Suggest removal
Eli writes:
Has anybody ever noticed any real difference after the street sweepers come through? I've always wondered what the hell we're paying those guys for.
May 12, 2008
10:15 a.m.
Suggest removal
jgd writes:
Forward69,
If EVERYONE follows the law as clearly stated on the traffic or street signs would you consider that to be fair? With your way of thinking would it be fair for me to park in a handicapped parking space because they were no handicapped cars parked there? Or how about parking in a fire lane in front of a store, if I am just going to run in for a couple of minutes and I put my flasher on?
Your way of thinking is why are streets are out of control, because some people have decided on their own that a particular law or sign is UNFAIR, and they shouldn't be required to follow it. If it is indeed unfair in your mind we have legal ways to get these type of problems corrected.
May 12, 2008
10:32 a.m.
Suggest removal
anya writes:
First, I have indeed noticed a difference when the street sweepers pass. They do clean and pick up debris just great. It's nice to live in a city that tries to keep streets clean and parks well-kept.
Second, there is an additional benefit to keeping cars from parking on the street for one day each month: Abandoned or non-functional vehicles are identified this way. After a few tickets, the city can take action to clear these off as well.
I just love the Graffiti reporting web site: http://www.denvergov.org/DenverPartne... . It REALLY works; every time I have reported graffiti on bridges, dumpsters in our alley, or whatever, they come out within a day or two and the graffiti is gone.
Denver is really doing a GREAT job of keeping the city clean, why would ANYONE want to complain about it?
May 12, 2008
10:36 a.m.
Suggest removal
anya writes:
I've always said that the lottery is a tax on people who are bad at math, which is good for me because I am good at math and I don't gamble, so it keeps my taxes lower.
I guess I would say a similar thing in this case; the parking tickets are a tax on people who can't read. Again, good for me, and Joe's $25 just goes to keeping my taxes that much lower. I'd say "Thanks, Joe!" but maybe he wouldn't be able to read it, so never mind.
May 12, 2008
11:30 a.m.
Suggest removal
peterpi writes:
He read the sign. The signs give dates and specific times. He ignored the sign. Busted. Now he wants us to feel sorry. Not.
May 12, 2008
11:35 a.m.
Suggest removal
Ztliano writes:
$25 is not a bad fine at all. That is unheard of in other metropolitan areas in this union. Just pay it and be done. You knew you were breaking the law.
May 12, 2008
11:47 a.m.
Suggest removal
ladida writes:
What time frame is listed on the no parking sign for street sweeping? Is it all day on that date? Just curious as to how close he might have been to the end time of the parking restriction.
I've also watched the parking police ticket cars in a "no parking after 4PM" zone. The policy was in a government building area (in another state) and was intended to allow for heavy commuter traffic on business days. This was Christmas Eve and all gov't offices were closed - thus no traffic...but the parking police and tow trucks were there at 4:00 and were towing my car when I walked up at 4:04...hope the parking police were getting overtime on the holiday! They towed my car around the corner and charged me $100 to move it.
May 12, 2008
11:57 a.m.
Suggest removal
jamesdenver writes:
How hard is it to read the sign and just NOT PARK THERE? Boo hoo I got a ticket and I'm upset. Just don't park where you can't and you won't get a ticket. I never drive to congested areas. Its easier and more enjoyable to just bike there.
re: parking Nazis. Nazis were people that killed millions of Jews. Don't use the word Nazi to describe someone that's a stickler about rule enforcement or makes your life irritable.
May 12, 2008
2:23 p.m.
Suggest removal
prk166 writes:
Exactly... Denver's way too kind when it comes to parking. The result is people get away with blocking driveways, alley ways and, worst of all, the city isn't able to get snow emergency routes properly cleaned up when needed. If you want to live or play in the city, get used to parking being a bitch. 3/4th of the metro is suburbia so avoiding the city shouldn't be too hard if it's not your thing.
My other question is how do you know they were done? Just curious if they only do one sweep or if other equipment comes through for another pass to get things clean. Do they use it as a chance to inspect storm drains or anything else like that?
May 12, 2008
2:49 p.m.
Suggest removal
krvus writes:
Well yes, he ignored the signs, but the Parking police are definitely a little over the edge.
I got a ticket in Denver for no front license plate by a parking enforcement hero although my meter was not expired. Not to mention that I was right down the street from the capitol where a car in that lot with no front license plate did not get a ticket- senator's car-hmmmm...
So, the next time one of them come by your vehicle, maybe they can ticket you for your windows being too dark, or your tailpipe haing too low to the ground, etc. These people should only be able to enforce that parking space, not other forms of law that the police officers do. Parking enforcement is handled way too harshly here. Not to metion that we pay for meters here on Sunday- (near coors field of course)...most other metro areas are free on Sunday.
Next up, bottled water for the City Council that we pay for!!! Now there's a real winner!!!
May 12, 2008
3:30 p.m.
Suggest removal
rip_vw32 writes:
krvus: You know for a fact that someone other than parking enforcement didn't give you that ticket? If it was a regular police officer it would have been okay? The law is the law. Period. What is with all this whining? License plate on the front is required by state law. Window tint cannot be too dark by state law. Mufflers? Are you kidding me? give it up........
May 12, 2008
3:58 p.m.
Suggest removal
krvus writes:
rip_vw33-
sorry, it was parking enforcement that gave me the ticket- you can tell by the ticket. That's "PARKING ENFORCEMENT" not police. Again, meter was paid- revenue generator is what it was about......
If it was a regular officer, yes, fine- I was guilty. However, I've been pulled over by State Partrol for no front plate on a holiday weekend basically checking to see if I had been drinking and I got a simple warning for no front plate- by State Patrol who never lets you go without issuing a ticket. Another thing- there are many states that do not require front license plates- new mexico and georgia to name a couple....it's money maker for the state making you purchase two plates. As I digress....
Wrong on the tint thing too- Yes, you can get a ticket for windows being too dark- 33% darkness is the limit I believe for front windows- but your statement of "Window tint cannot be too dark by state law" is completely wrong.
Mufflers was an exapmle as to what will come....
May 12, 2008
4 p.m.
Suggest removal
JTTAAB writes:
It's law enforcement. Shall we all be selective about which laws to abide by?
May 12, 2008
4:15 p.m.
Suggest removal
Dan2 writes:
krvus,
I got a ticket on a car I own that has out of state plates (firefighter plates from my days as a fireman). Hate taking them off, but didn't need to have front and rear plates where I lived. Parked for a Rockies game, and also got a ticket, even though my meter was still good. Threw the ticket away. Come and track me down Denver Parking Maids, you have no jurisdiction where my plate is registered.
I think having to pay to park on a city street, is insane. Always have, always will. But, that is just me.
May 12, 2008
4:25 p.m.
Suggest removal
krvus writes:
JTTAAB- did you read all posts here, or just the last 2? All most are saying is that the parking enforcement wanna be cops are "aggresive". Nobody said not to abide by the law, but in certain circumstances, they are over zealous as in my example. Again, how does parking enforcement equate to issuing a ticket for things other than a meter violation (my example) or parking time violation as in the writers story? There just needs to be some common sense here- oh I forgot, they are parking meter enforcers. Probably just past high screwell- not so much common sense.
Have you ever heard about the guy trying to put change in other's meters so they don't get a ticket- that's against the law too- the meter person will still issue a ticket. I know this for a fact not only by reading about it, but by trying myself for another human. So now good samaritans cannot help you either to not get a ticket!! Woo hoo denver!
May 12, 2008
4:30 p.m.
Suggest removal
krvus writes:
dan 2- that ticket I got for no plate was tossed by me too, but I got hit on my credit since I never paid them. I only found out about this when trying to purchase a new house. Lovely time to find that out. I had a great credit score and no debt- so thanks to a parking ticket, I had a hay day trying to close on the house. Needless to say- the buck does not stop there- at the parking meter employee. Since you're out of state, I think you'll be ok though- I wouldn't pay it.
May 12, 2008
10:20 p.m.
Suggest removal
Charles_B writes:
I'm still wanted in California (not really) for flicking the ash of a cigarette (back when I stupidly smoked) out the window while an officer gave my buddy who was driving a speeding ticket on the other side of the car. His partner saw it and wrote me a ticket.
Now *that* was a travesty of justice--which is why I never paid the fine.
Come and get me Johny Law!!
P.S. The letter writer is a crybaby.