A FRUSTRATED driver has spoken out against what he describes as a lack of empathy after receiving a $115 ticket for a violation where a cone deceived him.
The ticket was for parking in front of a fire hydrant, but the driver claims they didn’t know it was there because a cone was completely covering it.
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Redditt user (@falzeteet)asked a New York City thread if it was worth disputing the ticket.
The driver said they took a picture of the cone and was wondering if that would help their case.
“I got a ticket sometime last night for $115 (ouch) because I’d parked in front of a fire hydrant,” the driver said in the thread.
“I’m usually really careful about doing this bc I’ve been ticketed for it before but this time the hydrant was covered by a cone.
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"If you didn’t know better you wouldn’t be able to even tell it was a hydrant bc it was fully covered by the cone, so I figured it was okay.
“Is it worth trying to dispute the ticket? I have a picture of it.”
MIXED OPINION
Several people replied to the post with a mixed response - some sharing how they have ended up in worse situations when not being aware of a hydrant.
“I got ticketed for a hydrant when the hydrant was covered with a giant pile of garbage bags,” one person replied.
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“Still had to pay. You should probably just pay it.”
Another user shared how they got towed in a similar occurrence.
My car was towed with my son’s cancer treatment and wheelchair inside – the operator had strict demands to get it back
“I got towed this way once! That was annoying to come back to,” the user said.
"It’s not going to work and it’s still your responsibility. You’re honestly just lucky you were not towed," a third commenter insisted.
A not convinced user replied that there is no way to still prove the cone was there when you parked.
"It’s impossible to prove there was a cone on the hydrant when you parked there," the user said.
"Typically they say it’s because the photo isn’t time stamped and there’s no way of telling when the photo is taken."
A few people believed there was a chance the ticket could be disputed but they weren’t 100% sure it would work.
How to fight a parking ticket
You can avoid being ticketed by following all posted laws and ordinances, but sometimes mistakes are made
Like any form of citation, parking tickets are preventable by reading and obeying posted signage. However, when visiting a new city, or state, or in a hurry, things can be missed and mistakes are made.
Suddenly there's a ticket you weren't prepared to pay for. If the ticket is a surprise to you, there are a few things you can do to help your case when appealing a parking ticket.
- Carefully read the ticket. Look for errors like incorrect street names, license plate numbers, vehicle make and model, time and date, etc. Errors would then make the ticket invalid.
- Take photos. Of the vehicle in the parking space, lack of signage, or other vehicles that weren't cited for performing the same parking job. If the ticket involves parking too close to something like a fire hydrant, a photo showing a reasonable distance would help your case. Make sure metadata with the time and date are accessible. Signs that are obstructed by trees, or are on bent posts, or aren't "obvious" are great things to photograph, too.
- Make sure the statute that was violated is listed on the ticket. If not listed, the ticket is not valid.
- Promptly follow the appeal instructions on the ticket. All legitimate tickets will have directions for appeal. Waiting until the very last moment weakens your argument and can result in late fees.
- When in court, avoid these phrases as they reduce your credibility and weaken your argument:
- "I didn’t know the law."
- "I was on my way to move my car."
- "I can’t afford this ticket."
- "I’ve been doing this for years."
- "I checked with the parking officer, who said it was OK."
- Contact a lawyer. If you're running into roadblocks and feel stuck, it may be best to reach out to a traffic lawyer in your area. Many have free case consultations.
Source: Reader's Digest
However, both users explained the worst that could happen is getting denied.
“You can try but most likely you will still have to pay in NYC it’s either guilty or no guilty just download the app and try to plead not guilty and include your evidence,” one person said.
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“The worst that can happen is they deny the dispute. So yea go for it. Takes about a week or two for them to get back to you. Use pay or dispute app,” another person chimed in.
"You should dispute every ticket since it’s free and as another commenter said, the worst that can happen is they rule you guilty and you pay the same fine," another said.
