Tuesday, June 30, 2009
City Street Wars
Posted by Grant Brissey on Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 2:12 PM
Today is the last day of amnesty for parking tickets in Seattle. This means no collections fees and no interest if you pay your tickets by the end of the day. I just paid off 12 tickets at a total of $625. (I used to be really bad at time-management.) If you don't know your ticket or case number, you can call 206-684-5600. If you do know your number, you can pay it here. The court closes in less than three hours. Godspeed.
Also, I regret knowing that I'm helping pay for these:
Share via
1
Those tricycles are so ridiculous. Those fat bastards can't even manage to lean forward or back now? That's too much exercise? Geez.
2
i'm sorry, but what in the hell am I looking at? I mean, the white thing on the right with a police logo on it? have i been living under a rock, or underground in a burrow for too long? i haven't seen one of these yet
4
I asked a police officer about those one time. She said they don't using like them. They are deemed more efficient and are required to use them.
5
This fetish that police have for the Segway and the T3 (the Chariot) baffles me. These are extremely expensive vehicles that seem, in my opinion, to do no better than a cop on a Mountain Bike. The chariot begins around $9k, I believe. I'm sure maintenance and batteries and all the bells and whistles push it much higher than that. I'm guessing the Mountain Bikes that cops ride are about 1/10th of that, easier to maintain, and keep our cops in better physical condition when they have to dismount to chase a bad guy.
6
Hang on to proof that you paid those off. I let some tickets go to collections once, and then 9 years after I paid them off one showed up as delinquent on my credit report. I'm guessing the agency had sold the debt to another agency and some data went conveniently (for them) astray.
Of course I protested it and didn't have to pay, but still. It was a major pain in the ass.
As an aside: $625? That's impressive! I think I woulda skipped town instead.
Of course I protested it and didn't have to pay, but still. It was a major pain in the ass.
As an aside: $625? That's impressive! I think I woulda skipped town instead.
7
@5, would you expect anything less than the least efficient, most expensive, least effective option from a highly unionized police organization in an extremely left leaning city?
11
Parking enforcement isn't ALLOWED to chase down bad guys.
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you people? Park legally. If you don't, and you get caught, PAY YOUR FUCKING FINE ALREADY.
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you people? Park legally. If you don't, and you get caught, PAY YOUR FUCKING FINE ALREADY.
12
@10...sure. These Chariots are being used for general policing work in addition to usage by meter maids.
14
i have never understood people who complain about parking tickets. when you park like an asshole, you get a ticket like an asshole. if you can't handle parking, ride a bike or take a bus.
whatever you do, don't take it out on the parking cops, since, after all, it's your own damn fault.
whatever you do, don't take it out on the parking cops, since, after all, it's your own damn fault.
15
@12,
Huh. Well that doesn't make any sense. How fast do those things go anyway? Is it possible to outrun them? That would be hilarious.
Huh. Well that doesn't make any sense. How fast do those things go anyway? Is it possible to outrun them? That would be hilarious.
16
wow, I saw a ticket cop on one of these, she must have weighed in at 300 lbs and could really use some excercize. just sayin'. a please get this crap off the sidewalks, she nearly ran me down, is it really so necessary?
17
I just wish that police vehicles, mini parking patrol cars, segways and chariots had to park legally like everyone else.
18
ouch, had you beat. $925 :(
forgot about a driving without insurance ticket. Even though I had insurance at the time, the guy on the phone said it's too late to dispute it. I think that's the most money i've ever burnt for no particular reason.
forgot about a driving without insurance ticket. Even though I had insurance at the time, the guy on the phone said it's too late to dispute it. I think that's the most money i've ever burnt for no particular reason.
21
@15 Keshmeshi...
These Chariots can go as fast as 25 mph (that's a special order model) but I think they typically clock them to about 12 mph. But, I doubt they can hop a curb too well. In fact, I'll bet a Mountain Bike can go lots of places that one of these things can't go. Including up and down stairs.
The "sell" on them is that it improves community policing by getting police out among people rather than sitting in their car. I can believe that. But, as I said, a Mountain Bike can do the same thing.
Bikes...no matter how far technology advances, that invention will be with us forever.
These Chariots can go as fast as 25 mph (that's a special order model) but I think they typically clock them to about 12 mph. But, I doubt they can hop a curb too well. In fact, I'll bet a Mountain Bike can go lots of places that one of these things can't go. Including up and down stairs.
The "sell" on them is that it improves community policing by getting police out among people rather than sitting in their car. I can believe that. But, as I said, a Mountain Bike can do the same thing.
Bikes...no matter how far technology advances, that invention will be with us forever.
22
@18: I think it's perfectly reasonable to go ahead and spend another $30 on a decent bottle of booze to drown your sorrows in. That is the SUCK.
23
I don't have a ton of sympathy for people who can't park and pay for it responsibly, or people who let their tickets sit unpaid. If parking legally is a challenge, take the bus or a cab.
Given how much some of you are paying for tickets, you might actually save a few bucks if you took cabs instead.
Given how much some of you are paying for tickets, you might actually save a few bucks if you took cabs instead.
24
@23: I racked up tickets when I was at my poorest and living in a neighborhood with zoned parking. My grocery budget was $30 a month and I honestly couldn't afford to buy the zone permit for about 6 months. I did my best to move my car every so often, but it racked up a few tickets when it broke down and I couldn't move it or even pay someone to haul it away.
When I finally got on my feet I paid the tickets off, fixed up the car and become a solid, upright citizen again. But don't hate, brother, 'til you've walked a mile in someone else's shoes.
When I finally got on my feet I paid the tickets off, fixed up the car and become a solid, upright citizen again. But don't hate, brother, 'til you've walked a mile in someone else's shoes.
25
Um, maybe sell the car or move to a more car-friendly neighborhood if owning one's that important and your margin for error's that thin?
I mean... you managed to come out of it okay doing it your way, but that doesn't mean it was a good idea... as all the resulting parking tickets indicates.
I mean... you managed to come out of it okay doing it your way, but that doesn't mean it was a good idea... as all the resulting parking tickets indicates.
26
Uhem "move to another neighborhood"? If you can barely afford food you can hardly afford first+last+deposit to move. Out of touch much?
Most Commented on Slog
-
Life and Death in a Recliner in South Carolina by Dan Savage
-
Pit Bulls! by Dan Savage
-
Becoming a Man by Dan Savage
-
SL Letter of the Day: Hot & Drunk by Dan Savage
-
$2,600,000,000 by Dan Savage
-
I Hate You, Garrison Keillor by Jen Graves
-
All The Best Men Are Taken by Dan Savage
-
Unreal Americans by Dan Savage
-
Precious: Brutal New Classic or African-American Bruno? by David Schmader
-
Meanwhile in Vancouver by Dan Savage
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (27) RSS