blue00r6

I've never seen anything like this before.. Just unreal. I can't help but think that this cheesedick parking meter douche has some vendetta against nicer cars.

First off, the situation: It is 11:45 PM on a thursday night and I am meeting a friend downtown portland after a late work function. We meet in a pretty busy area and i park in a spot on the street that has a "no parking anytime" sign, but i figure "hey, its almost midnight and I'm only going to be 15 minutes tops.."

Park, go inside, come back out maybe 30 minutes later to find 2 tickets in my wiper..
one 80 dollar fine for parking in the no parking zone, and then a 55 dollar fine for NO FRONT PLATE.. who the hell gives those guys the authority to ticket for platelessness. I can understand if there are NO plates at all, but I did have my rear plate on..

I know you all will say its my fault for parking there, and sure it probably is.. but WHY DO PARKING ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE HAVE TO BE SUCH DICKS??

This guy was just trying to be a *****, probably thought to himself "this rich guy thinks he can do whatever he wants with his fancy car.. i'm gonna show him!!"
(BTW not calling myself rich, but i find that people seem to assume that if you drive any kind of MB)

come on dude, get off your high horse and go **** yourself.

I am Jeff

Most of the time when you receive plateless tickets, the issuing person wasn't a metermaid. You're lucky you didn't have an expired inspection, because you would have received one of those on top of that. :p

Sportstick

Let me try to describe the same situation from a different perspective and see if it changes how you feel.

You are out after a party with co-workers, and have been hanging with friends, having a great time. Someone paid a fraction of your salary has the job of walking alone on the city streets at night, rain, snow, cold, doesn't matter, and writing tickets, often having to take abuse from a variety of folks who don't think "Anytime" includes just 15 minutes, or that other parking laws apply to them. So, the public servant just does their job and writes the ticket. While writing the ticket, they see that the person who doesn't think the no-parking rule applies to them also doesn't think the front plate rule applies to them, so they just do their job again and write the ticket they are required to, having sworn to uphold the law.

So, I completely get that you are angry that you got caught and now have to pay a ticket. But, the part I cannot figure out (and I re-read your post twice) is, what part of them doing their job while you return from an office party, after ignoring two separate laws, constitutes them being the different names you called them?

C300Sport

I can see both points of view. If the guy knew you were running in and running out, he may have said no problem but be sure you are gone when I make my way back down the other side of the street, etc, etc. That would have been really cool but also beyond what he is supposed to do.
I am sure the guy/gal sees lots of A holes, jerks and "better than you" types on a daily basis and with nothing to go by other than your car parked where it's not supposed to be, he did his job.
Pretty well sucks and I am sure I would probably **** and moan a bit about it to, but it is basically nobody's fault but your own.

kirillbenz22

in LA parking enforcements give tickets for not having front plates all the time, I just got a new bumper and I am not drilling holes in it i know the consequences but I dont give a ****!

mac911

What kind of parking lot was it?

It has to be public to get a ticket for no front plate or no?

blue00r6

All very true, I accept responsibility completely... I'm just pissing and moaning.

Also, the fines seem excessive.. i figured it would be a $20 dollar ticket at most...

And MY perspective on the deal was the one I wish was obvious and/or assumed. I was stopping in relatively quickly, it's late on a weeknight (quiet compared to weekends), not intentionally disrespecting anyone or questioning the parking people's authority, just going to be a quick in-out, cut me some slack..

I'm sure he pictured me rolling up with my car full of big breasted sequin gowned ladys and me in my 5 piece tuxedo, champagne glasses in hand as we laugh at the "no parking" sign and stroll into the bar to meet our business executive friends and throw pennies at poor people ..

"I'll cut this guy down a peg or two" he thinks to himself as he circles the car noting all possible infractions

KA8

Not all parking enforcement are dicks. There are few places I'd avoid in LA. They are Larchmont+beverly, LAX, and parents house near dodgers stadium. You'll be ticketed for no front plate guaranteed.

blue00r6

and it was a public street.. Mind you this "no parking" spot is in a place that makes no sense to have a no parking spot, open parking on either end.. no driveways, no loading zones.. just a seemingly random spot, but what do I know.

I am Jeff

Does it matter that it was in a random place? There is clearly a sign there that states "NO PARKING ANYTIME!". I don't think your problem is with the ticketing officer, it's with the city for it's poor city planning that caused you to get a ticket after you disregarded the sign. If you think you're right, then you should fight the ticket.

C300Sport

Awww come on now...you know that's what happened...
The funny thing is, you may have a very valid point...

blue00r6

Bottom line is, I should have a free parking pass for wherever I go and everybody should know that because I'm SPECIAL! my mom told me so .

AND i should get to choose whether or not I display my license plates. That's all I'm trying to say here

blue00r6

And I don't buy that.. I am pretty sure IN the interview process for one of these jobs you must pass a test that shows your ability to care way too much about very minor things..

EXAM TO DECIDE WHETHER A PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IS AN APPROPRIATE JOB FOR YOU
Questions include..
1. Someone walks by you and accidentally scuffs your shoe.. What do you do?
a. keep walking
b. cry
c. call the guy an *******
d. call the police
e. Answers B,C,D (all but A)

2. A waiter at a restaurant brings you the wrong soda... What do you do?

a. politely tell him of his mistake
b. cry
c. call the guy an *******
d. call the police
e. Answers B,C,D (all but A)

3. Walking down the street, a bird almost poops on you... what do you do?

a. PHEW! that was close
b. cry
c. call the bird and *******
d. call the police
e. Answers B,C,D (all but A)


**to become a parking ticket man you must honestly answer E to all questions**

Sportstick

So, you're very creative and have a good satirical sense of humor, but here's the part you wrote which earns you a lot of respect!

bnam

Ironically, b & c are what YOU are just doing. Try A for a change.

e1000

Plus, I think how you feel about being targeted for driving a nice car is most likely in your head. I'd bet you almost anything if you were driving the most beat up POS car you would have still gotten both tickets. I agree those guys are ****'s but they're pretty indescriminatory as well.

C300S 6MT

good one...

Doanster

See my response in the "Front Plate Mounting" thread. Portland and the surrounding suburbs are really starting to crack down on no front plates.
The person who wrote you both tickets was a police officer, not a parking enforcement person. Only an officer can give you a ticket for no front plates. Plus, it was 11:45pm after all.
Your story *almost* makes me scared enough to get the swiftmotorsports or gominigo bracket, but alas, I'll probably keep rolling the dice until it's too late.

tc1728

Were you in a no parking zone?
Did you have no front plate?

You deserved a ticket for each "yes" answer. TC

blue00r6

Well my comment was in regards to when a relatively small problem happens; crying and calling people names is ridiculous

In my mind, $135 in parking tickets in one night is a relatively big deal, thus crying and calling people names is fully justified

I am Jeff

Just be happy that you didn't get those tickets in NYC. A "No Parking Anytime" ticket in the city costs 135 just for that ticket. I don't know about the no front plate ticket. It just builds from there.

dcjwlee

Peh, after living in NYC for so many years I've learned not to **** with no parking signs or fire hydrants...

No pity for the OP here woooo chaaaaa

mr inkredibul

I was thinking the exact same thing. They weren't being a douche they were just doing their job lol.

jctevere

I would have to disagree about all officers or parking enforcement being assh*les. I was in NYC for a doctor I work for doing a couple of errands. I parked on a street with a muni meter and just assumed it was slow (only a few cars on the street) I was no more then 15 minutes, and when I got back I see a cop walking around my vehicle about to give me a ticket when he asked, is this your vehicle, I said yea, and he said your no allowed to park here, pointing to a sign down the block that says commercial vehicles only. I honestly missed it, and the guy was nice enough to give me a break and let me go. I thanked him and was on my way. Not all of them are *******s, they are just doing their job. Im sure if you were there an explained your situation he may have given you a break... But how was he to know you were only there for 15 minutes, in his mind your car could have been there for days and stolen... Bottom line is, it sucks, but you live and you learn; you just learned it the hard way.

coolvi

Unless all tickets are referred to as parking ticket, it was a $80 parking ticket plus something other offence, was it not? An $80 parking ticket isn't too bad.

You can't argue that 15 years is too harsh of a sentence for robbery if you end up killing the guy. Bad analogy, I know, but we're talking about multiple offences.