Victorious again! This week I succeeded in getting a $100 parking ticket waived. We got the ticket when we were in D.C. over Thanksgiving, and I figured we had a plausible story so I wrote in and gave it a try. This is not the first ticket I've gotten waived. Three were in Boston: Two $60 parking tickets for not having a parking permit when we'd just moved in and could not physically have gone in and applied for a parking pass in the first 10 minutes we arrived in town. For the record, Boston ticket writers and tow trucks are ruthless. My third was a $240 speeding ticket where I was going through one of the Big Dig freeway tunnels and didn't notice that the speed limit had gone from 65 to 45. So...busted for going 68 in a 45. I had to go into court and everything.
Then last year I got a ridiculous parking ticket in downtown Columbus because of a little meter mix-up. Again, I had to go in for a hearing and got the problem quickly resolved. Also for the record, the Columbus parking court is quite scary.
Lest you think I am a true road hazard, I was not the driver when we got the DC ticket. But I have taken it upon myself to fight the parking system that I think is mainly created to drum up additional revenue for cities. Here's the letter I wrote in regards to the D.C. ticket. I pulled out the kid reason, which was actually true, hoping for a sympathetic examiner.
Dear Hearing Examiner,
I am writing in regards to our parking ticket (Citation # 388901752) received over the Thanksgiving weekend on Friday, November 28, 2008. I would like to admit the ticket, with an explanation.
We were parked on the 0600 Block of Independence Ave, SW side while we visited the Air and Space Museum. It ended up taking longer to leave than we'd expected (we have a 3 1/2 year old son) and by the time we got out, we found a ticket on our car. The parking enforcement officer came soon after the 4 p.m. limit posted on the signs, and we were out soon enough thereafter that we were not towed.
Although we were parked in the space after the posted time allowable, I'd like to request that you consider waiving or reducing our fine for the following reasons:
1. The fact that it was the holiday weekend constituted less rush hour traffic due to people returning home from work.
2. We were not long enough over the limit to get towed.
3. We had a very excited toddler and unfortunately lost track of time because he was enjoying his first visit to the Air and Space Museum so much.
Please let me know if I can offer any additional information or clarification. I can be reached at (614) 529-6620 or nollie_anne@hotmail.com. Thank you for your consideration and have a happy holiday season.
Sincerely,
Nollie Haws
I am writing in regards to our parking ticket (Citation # 388901752) received over the Thanksgiving weekend on Friday, November 28, 2008. I would like to admit the ticket, with an explanation.
We were parked on the 0600 Block of Independence Ave, SW side while we visited the Air and Space Museum. It ended up taking longer to leave than we'd expected (we have a 3 1/2 year old son) and by the time we got out, we found a ticket on our car. The parking enforcement officer came soon after the 4 p.m. limit posted on the signs, and we were out soon enough thereafter that we were not towed.
Although we were parked in the space after the posted time allowable, I'd like to request that you consider waiving or reducing our fine for the following reasons:
1. The fact that it was the holiday weekend constituted less rush hour traffic due to people returning home from work.
2. We were not long enough over the limit to get towed.
3. We had a very excited toddler and unfortunately lost track of time because he was enjoying his first visit to the Air and Space Museum so much.
Please let me know if I can offer any additional information or clarification. I can be reached at (614) 529-6620 or nollie_anne@hotmail.com. Thank you for your consideration and have a happy holiday season.
Sincerely,
Nollie Haws
So if you get a ticket, fight it! More often than not if you're courteous and rational, you'll end up saving a few bucks. But I guess better to not get a ticket in the first place. Need to work on that one. What's your experience with traffic tickets?
8 comments:
Nol, that is such good advice! I am so proud of you for getting out of it. I always just assume there is nothing I can do. but you can taught me a lesson, girlfriend.
I fought one from downtown Boston and won, and another one in Salt Lake too. Like you say, a reasoned, honest explanation goes far!
Good work Nollie! I think I've gotten 3 or 4 parking tickets in my life (3/4 of them in Provo..) I think I got one of the BYU campus ones waived but the one on my BCC campus in Seattle they were not lenient and the one where I accidentally parked facing the wrong direction on a street south of BYU campus they did not waive. So, not for lack of trying, I am only one quarter as victorious as you. Teach me your tricks!
I have to say, one of my more comical moments of getting out of a ticket was when you were with me in Logan. I got pulled over and while I was panic-stricken, rummaging through my glove box looking for my registration you ever so smoothly mentioned to the officer, "Her dad's a judge." Off with a warning. My parents have been pretty clear that we can't use dad's job as an excuse to get our of trouble, but they never said our friends couldn't drop it in when convenient. You must be a good luck charm.
As a law abiding citizen, and frequent 5 under the speed limit driver, I cannot condone your behavior.
You're going to have to write my next letter because I tried to fight one here in Columbus and while I believed my prose to be quite excellent, the city did not.
This is something you've heard from me before, but man, Nollie, I'm impressed with your skills! Your ticket-evading skills, your bow-staff skills...{noticed the Napoleon pic below and am headed to that post next.}
Oh, Nollie. Good work, my friend. I'm impressed that you got a ticket waived in Boston! That's not easy!
I just got a parking ticket in November. I had parked at a meter in front of Madi's preschool to run her in (with Madeleine, Max, and a very large 9 month pregnant belly). I legitimately forgot to stick the quarter in before I ran the kids inside, came out not 5 minutes later to see Mr. Anal Meter Maid giving me a ticket. I said, "oh, come on! I was gone 5 minutes- I'm 9 months pregnant, man, and I had to run 3 children into a preschool. Can't you give me a break??" He insisted that it was too late, he already started writing the ticket- it was irreversible. I said, "you know, if you give me your little ticket machine for a minute, I'm sure I can figure out a way to get rid of it." He didn't like that much and got really agitated. I got in my car and drove away. He fined me an extra $5 for my sass. Oh well.
Shoot- Madi's upstairs and the hair dryer just went on. Better go see what mischief she's getting into. I think this comment is longer than your post. :)
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