A kick in the Christmas berries

[kickingfrog]

Last night my wife and I went downtown (Barrie - not even close to the gta) for a Christmas party for one of the companies I work for. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we took a cab home. Get up Sunday morning and head down to retrieve our car at 8:30am only to find a ticket on the windshield of our car for parking downtown between 3am and 6am.

 

I assume this is a winter/snow removal related parking issue, no snow last night btw, but it burns a little that we felt we did the right thing (both of us may have been fine to drive) and end up with a $30 ticket ($20 if paid early).

 

In all, the two of us had a nice dinner out, with drinks, for $45 ($25 cab, $20 ticket). So I feel a little silly ranting , but a drunk would have had the same night out and maybe not paid a cent... or he may have T-Boned us while we were in the cab.

 

Merry Christmas folks, I feel better. Time wrap.

[Rizzo]

man that sucks. At least you did the right thing. Working in the funeral home I have actually seen people who did the right thing (take a cab), get killed by a drunk driver. Brutal

[Roy]

That is brutal, Rob but like Roger said, you did the right thing. You're both home safely with family to enjoy Christmas.

[Grimace]

You illegally parked and you should be ashamed of yourself. I think a weekend in prison is a more suitable punishment. You got off lucky.

 

But seriously that stinks. I got dinged in Brampton earlier this year for 150 bucks. When I first quit smoking I was niccin out and stopped for some gum at a strip mall convienience store. I just parked in front of store instead of in parking lot. Week day morning, not a soul in the parking lot, the store was the only thing open in the mall. Bang, 150 bucks. Fire zone. The hydrant was about 150 metres away. I called the guy everything I could think of. It didn't help. lol.

 

Municipalities are hungry.

[Grimace]

Downtown market places in any town are always screaming for business and are against the strip mall. They say that they are sucking the heart out of the downtown. The city should let you put a parking voucher on your dash from the restaurant so they can certify that you used a downtown business. The restaurant could hand them to you at the end of a meal at your request, but then again there would be some over zealous cops that would give you a care and control for opening your door and pitching the voucher on your dash.

 

Again I guess that would put a wrinkle in the arse of the snow removal.

 

Oh well, at least you do not live in Bowmanville where "intoxicated in public" tickets are handed out to people waiting for cabs. lol.

Edited December 19, 2010 by Grimace

[bassman87]

I had the same situation happen to me. Apparently we are not allowed to park on main streets during I believe 3 and 6 at night? I had to go to the hospital at 4 am and parked on the main st out front and got a ticket. I explained it to the parking authorities and they scrapped the ticket. You should give it a try, goodluck.

[JohnF]

Further proof that doing the right thing isn't always synonymous with doing things cheap. I guess it's like buying quality.

 

Good for you though.

 

JF

[Leecher]

You did the right thing Rob Sucks about the ticket though

[smally21]

kudos on taking a cab. who's at fault for parking illegally and getting ticketed? sorry KF but parking ticket rants usually come down to the same thing, i parked in a no parking zone, or in front of a store instead of the lot that was empty, i was only a few minutes, etc. not trying to start something but just sayin' it was never the parking authority or the city that put the car in the illegal spot....

 

just sayin' merry xmas.

[Cudz]

Happens everytime downtown. All the bars are there and parking in the lots is legal until 3am. What a sweet $ grab. They have the parking guys work a shift that starts at 2:45. lol. Such a dirty move. Real greasy

[splashhopper]

20 bucks sure is cheap to save a life a life or two

 

[DanD]

Defiantly you have a right to be a bit pissed at this because you did the right thing and not driven after your supper and drinks.

But at the same time the person that wrote the ticket didn’t know your situation and was following the town’s bylaw.

If this still bugs you take a ride down to parking enforcement and they may waive the ticket, after you explain; it could happen???

Look at it this way it didn’t cost you anymore then taking a cab both ways???

That’s what we’ve been doing the last while; neither of us (wife & I) have to worry about that second, third glass (bottle) of wine.

Feel proud that you two are responsible people that care; regardless of the laws!!!!!!!!

Dan.

[camillj]

Man That sucks...but you did the right thing ... if it is any consolation, my sister got popped last week ... $250 while waiting in line (in a mall parking lot) to pay for their christmas tree ... now thats rude ...

[TJQ]

You illegally parked and you should be ashamed of yourself. I think a weekend in prison is a more suitable punishment. You got off lucky.

 

I agree... bah humbug!!

[solopaddler]

There is no bright side to this, it's a joke.

 

There's no way no how I would ever pay that fine.

[kickingfrog]

I did not deny my guilt and I could have done many different things, I also get the snow removal angle. My frustration was the 3 hours on SUNDAY morning that my car became a pumpkin. Our downtown, like many, has a hard time drawing people due to the usual urban/suburban dynamics, and yet here is an example where if I had left my car in any one of the large chain parking lots "uptown" I would have been fine. Our city has a large disconnect sometimes with what they say they want and their actions to accomplish those goals.

[SlowPoke]

Thank you for doing the right thing and I'll gladly pay that ticket for you. It's not worth fighting but you shouldn't be out the dough.

PM me your address and I'll send you the money.

[kickingfrog]

Thank you for doing the right thing and I'll gladly pay that ticket for you. It's not worth fighting but you shouldn't be out the dough.

PM me your address and I'll send you the money.

 

 

Thanks for the offer. I won't be denied my martyrdom.

 

and you're right it's not worth fighting, but I will be bringing it up with city hall.

Edited December 20, 2010 by kickingfrog

[BillM]

There is no bright side to this, it's a joke.

 

There's no way no how I would ever pay that fine.

 

Signs are up for a reason, I've been nailed by them once when I first moved to Barrie.

 

Never again though.

[SlowPoke]

I won't be denied my martyrdom.

 

LOL!!

I'm just glad they didn't tow it.

[kickingfrog]

LOL!!

I'm just glad they didn't tow it.

 

That would have been the frozen boot.

[quickme]

Thank you for doing the right thing and I'll gladly pay that ticket for you. It's not worth fighting but you shouldn't be out the dough.

PM me your address and I'll send you the money.

 

 

That is a very nice offer. I have lost a close friend to a drunk driver running her over. I will gladly split the cost of your ticket with SlowPoke... You did the right thing! ( sorry SlowPoke for stealing your thunder on this Thread....)

 

Nick

[lunkerbasshunter]

i would so take that to court! What judge is really going to uphold that ticket after you did the right thing and left your car there because your drank to much?