When Your Government Is Your Enemy
I was in a doctor’s office at the corner of 25th and M Sts. NW yesterday morning for an 8 a.m. appointment. Post-visit, I returned to my car on the 1200 block of 25th Street NW at 8:48 a.m., one minute after parking ticket #370563863—for violation “P039 Expired Meter,” which comes with a $25 fine—had been issued and left on my windshield.
The ticket writer—identified on the ticket as Officer M Cook, Dept. 15, Badge #00195—was only a few feet from my car when I picked up the pink slip, so I pointed out to her that the meter, identified on the ticket as 251204NW, says it is only in use from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. No street sign to contradict the meter’s language was anywhere visible, and parking on the block isn’t affected by rush-hour restrictions. She quickly agreed: The meter indeed listed those hours of operation.
But then Officer M Cook, Dept. 15, Badge #00195 added, “They’re going to change that to 7 a.m.”
What?
“They’re going to change that meter soon. It’s going to say 7 a.m.,” said Officer M Cook, Dept. 15, Badge #00195.
I took the bait and asked, in a psychotic squeal, how could I have known to feed a meter that tells me not to feed it.
“You can fight it if you want,” responded Officer M Cook, Dept. 15, Badge #00195, walking away. “I’m just doing my job.”
Up against this sort of civil service, what’s Joe Citizen to do?
9 Responses to “When Your Government Is Your Enemy”
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November 1st, 2007 at 11:18 am
Joe Citizen is to report this and have it effectively voided by the city through a 5-10 minute call to parking enforcement, via their computer system.
Joe Washingtonian is to suck it up and curse the skies lest he venture into the bureaucratic hell, where nothing gets done, nerves get frayed, and accountability is a foreign concept.
November 1st, 2007 at 12:58 pm
TAKE A PHOTO OF THE HOURS POSTED ON THE METER ASAP, BEFORE THEY’RE CHANGED, TAKE IT TO TRAFFIC COURT & TELL JUDGE THE COP AGREED THE METER SAID THE CORRECT HOURS. CHANCES ARE THE COP WON’T SHOW UP AT COURT ANYWAY, SO YOUR TICKET MIGHT BE DISMISSED, OR LESSENED.
November 1st, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Do what LooLoo said, but in lower caps.
November 1st, 2007 at 1:36 pm
it’s GOING to change? holy shit, the city will be underwater someday, so i’m just GOING to stop paying rent since my building will be uninhabitable someday.
November 1st, 2007 at 2:44 pm
LooLoo, I don’t think that an officer is required to show up for PARKING tickets… it won’t be dismissed on that basis.
Good luck with fighting the power. I usually do it on principle, I seem to get off about half the time, having no bearing on the offense or situation. There was one place I used to park that was actually legal, but I got ticketed frequently. Got off on the first one. Next time, I actually enclosed a copy of my dismissal letter from the previous ticket, and was denied anyway!! Mind boggling.
Only problem is if you lose by mail, the profitable and snarky parking adjudication system requires you to pay $10 (usually, a significant portion of the fine itself) for the privilege of appealing it again by mail. As well as the fine itself, up front. I am not sure who is stupid enough to do this, since with no recourse after this appeal, you are basically paying $10 more for the privilege of an off chance of trying to get DC to refund some money to you, also sure to be a pleasant experience. Anyway, it’s all good fun, go for it!!
November 3rd, 2007 at 2:56 am
I’m only bothered by a parking meter if I’m at the book store and my time is valuable. The panic of is enough change in the meter time enough to browse the mystery section and avoid that ticket? Whether than worry and explain my fault with a ticket writing cop–I make sure I’ve unloaded all the change I’ve accumulated in my car–and you will be amazed as to how comforting that feels. Let somebody else panic over the time that’s left after you’re long gone.
November 19th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
Just write a letter to the address listed on the back of the ticket. Actually going to court over a parking ticket is absurd, and they’re doing away with it. If you’re in the right, they actually will forgive the ticket. And if they try and string you along, write your councilmember. Jim Graham helped me get out of two undeserved tickets when the DMV was dragging their feet.
November 21st, 2007 at 10:32 am
[...] that never happened and a charge that doesn’t exist? Lately I feel like a magnet for these bogus tickets, but I can’t be the only sap charged with fictional violations. Can [...]
January 29th, 2008 at 11:39 am
[...] ever, gave me the old “I’m special!” feeling. I will use most of the $60 to pay a parking ticket I got in this same neighborhood a couple months ago, which was totally bogus. I think that’s [...]