Fighting parking tickets to get more expensive?

[RetroGrouch]

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Agreed. Hey remember when we had to pay a fee on top of the taxes we paid so that we could own a car? Yah that was fun.

Yup, luckily I only ended up paying that vehicle tax for one year. God damn Miller regime was so anti-car, it really messed up downtown streets. New bike lanes that gobbled up lanespace yet are only utilized 2/3 of the year and cyclists pay nothing while drivers subsidize them. We ended up with half the parking spots and dishing out more to drive.

 

[Flashmonkey]

Yup, luckily I only ended up paying that vehicle tax for one year. God damn Miller regime was so anti-car, it really messed up downtown streets. New bike lanes that gobbled up lanespace yet are only utilized 2/3 of the year and cyclists pay nothing while drivers subsidize them. We ended up with half the parking spots and dishing out more to drive.

Ya that was ridiculous. I get it...Europe is so awesome and hip and we should be more like them. We're not in Europe goddamnit....

 

[Splash]

While on the subject, I asked for parking ticket trial to be held in a different language. I was not expecting a reply. Unfortunately I got one. There is no way I can defend myself using that language. If I get to the trial and ask for it to be conducted in English will I get charged for the translator?

You have the right to have the trial to be held in either official language. No where does it say you have to understand the language!!! lol

- Brent Butt

 

[just_luc]

At the rate "the man" is ripping me off with gimmicks like HST, eco-fees and countless other bull I have no moral quarrels when it comes to abusing the system.

Hmmm, 1.1 billion or more on G8/G20 that vanished into thin air (can anyone tell me what was accomplished besides a circle jerk for world leaders and bankers?) or a few million dollars for a functional and accessible justice system?

i dont agree with goverment waste of tax dollars anymore then the next guy.. but i dont see how wasting more myself helps the issue.

 

[daught]

i dont agree with goverment waste of tax dollars anymore then the next guy.. but i dont see how wasting more myself helps the issue.

Every ticket I fight saves me money for responsible personal use. If the government can't get my money, it can't waste them, so in essence I prevent government waste.

 

[zooropa_chris]

i dont agree with goverment waste of tax dollars anymore then the next guy.. but i dont see how wasting more myself helps the issue.

Fighting your ticket isn't a 'waste'.....it's your RIGHT. I will fight every ticket because it is my constitutional right. If they don't want the fight, don't give me a ticket. Simple enough.

 

[just_luc]

Every ticket I fight saves me money for responsible personal use. If the government can't get my money, it can't waste them, so in essence I prevent government waste.

Fighting your ticket isn't a 'waste'.....it's your RIGHT. I will fight every ticket because it is my constitutional right. If they don't want the fight, don't give me a ticket. Simple enough.

wow.

that's sad. its your right to contest a ticket that was given in error, not simply to "fight" every ticket you get just because your ****** off about getting it. Man up. if you did the crime, do the time (pay the fine).

Responsible tax payers shouldn't have to foot the bill for your inability to except the consequences of your actions.

 

[caboose56]

Fighting your ticket isn't a 'waste'.....it's your RIGHT. I will fight every ticket because it is my constitutional right. If they don't want the fight, don't give me a ticket. Simple enough.

Fighting a ticket when you fully deserved to get it... is a waste. You're perfectly within your rights to fight it and I'll never discourage someone from doing so.. but stating that it's not a waste is stupid.

 

[ariesmars]

Just more ****ing ********. Will it ever stop? I understand the gov want's people to obey the rules of the road and make their money but ****, at least give us an attractive alternative!!! SMFH

 

[RedDragon]

If we are to believe that we live in a democratic society, then you should fight every ticket if you can. Now i know some may say you are wasting the courts time. I don't think so, you have a legal means to dispute what you think is wrong. I believe that is why we have courts of law civil or criminal. Maybe we should adopt a system with no courts and instant guilt. i am pretty sure that would go over well. Disputing a ticket is some small way helps keep the goverment/city honest. It holds them to task, makes them account for their actions. I am sure we don't want to give anyone enforcing law a blank check to do whatever they feel like doing. In reality we complain about soaring costs of these proceeding, yet governments have wasted over the years trillions of dollars on nonsense.


Reddragon

 

[just_luc]

If we are to believe that we live in a democratic society, then you should fight every ticket if you can. Now i know some may say you are wasting the courts time. I don't think so, you have a legal means to dispute what you think is wrong. I believe that is why we have courts of law civil or criminal. Maybe we should adopt a system with no courts and instant guilt. i am pretty sure that would go over well. Disputing a ticket is some small way helps keep the goverment/city honest. It holds them to task, makes them account for their actions. I am sure we don't want to give anyone enforcing law a blank check to do whatever they feel like doing. In reality we complain about soaring costs of these proceeding, yet governments have wasted over the years trillions of dollars on nonsense.


Reddragon

The highlighted portion of your statement is entirely correct. no one is debating you should be able to fight a ticket that you feel is wrong. The complaint, and the statement about wasting the courts time is for tickets you know you deserved.

 

[AdRath]

The highlighted portion of your statement is entirely correct. no one is debating you should be able to fight a ticket that you feel is wrong. The complaint, and the statement about wasting the courts time is for tickets you know you deserved.

When the courts got rid of a night court option to fight tickets they started wasting the citizens time. Tickets are given by parking officers despite having a ticket on the dash or being legal. I'd agree the courts should charge for being found guilty only if I can charge a fee if I am found not guilty of the parking ticket. What is a day pay in order to fight a bogus ticket? Now on top of that they want to penalize you more if the judisagrees with you? c'mon that is just gouging. I could see if you go to court without any evidence but if you present a valid case despite being found guilty there shouldn't be another cost on top of it. The reality of it is that Toronto is broke and they want to scare people into paying even if they are guilty or innocent. They just want your money. Many people do just pay instead of losing a days wage. Now that is a broken system.

 

[RetroGrouch]

I really don't understand the concept of paying for a parking ticket if you deserved it. How do you deserve a ticket? Because some bean-counter in city hall decided that an hour of street parking is worth $2.00 and if your parking slip is expired you deserve a ticket that costs $30? Like you committed some kind of moral indecency? No, you get a ticket because it's another revenue stream. It's all about squeezing more money out of motorists, just another disguised tax. BTW during holidays, drivers don't need to pay for street parking. But the city does not post that info on the parking meters and so everyone still pays regardless of the fact that they won't get ticketed if they don't. The city counts on people's civic duty to pay for parking, no questions asked.

 

[caboose56]

I really don't understand the concept of paying for a parking ticket if you deserved it. How do you deserve a ticket? Because some bean-counter in city hall decided that an hour of street parking is worth $2.00 and if your parking slip is expired you deserve a ticket that costs $30? Like you committed some kind of moral indecency? No, you get a ticket because it's another revenue stream. It's all about squeezing more money out of motorists, just another disguised tax. BTW during holidays, drivers don't need to pay for street parking. But the city does not post that info on the parking meters and so everyone still pays regardless of the fact that they won't get ticketed if they don't. The city counts on people's civic duty to pay for parking, no questions asked.

Parking tickets are a stupid tax.

I've only ever got a few in my life and they were all times when i knew i was parking illegaly when i did it, i was just hoping to get away with it. Have you ever watched Parking Wars? People are stupid.. stupid people get parking tickets. really stupid people get lots of parking tickets. really stupid people pay for at the meter but then put the slip on their dash face down.. uhh.. stupid?

If you're too stupid to park legally.. you deserve a ticket. The rules are pretty straight forward, if you park in the wrong spot or park somewhere for too long you might get a ticket. If that bothers you so much then don't park there.

 

[cbr_rr]

I got my bike towed out of a spot where i was parked legally. The spot was too small for a car, but the bike fit in perfectly. Some dickhead fry truck couldn't fit into his vendor spot, and because my bike was beside the spot his front end couldn't hang out and so my bike was towed.

I took pictures of the spot clearly showing my bike could fit, and also clearly showing that the sign did not say that parking there was illegal. When I showed up in court, and presented my pictures and story, the parking officer looked at them and said, "Well, I don't remember the day, but I wouldn't have given you a ticket if you weren't illegally parked". The prosecutor heard this, and agreed. After a whole lot of me yelling that this is *********, the only thing he offered was to give me a $0 fine if I pled guilty, so that I would have no chance at recovering my $200 bogus towing charge.

So now, what you're saying is that on top of all of that, I would be charged some extra fee because I chose to fight the case? Garbage.

 

[AdRath]

I got my bike towed out of a spot where i was parked legally. The spot was too small for a car, but the bike fit in perfectly. Some dickhead fry truck couldn't fit into his vendor spot, and because my bike was beside the spot his front end couldn't hang out and so my bike was towed.

I took pictures of the spot clearly showing my bike could fit, and also clearly showing that the sign did not say that parking there was illegal. When I showed up in court, and presented my pictures and story, the parking officer looked at them and said, "Well, I don't remember the day, but I wouldn't have given you a ticket if you weren't illegally parked". The prosecutor heard this, and agreed. After a whole lot of me yelling that this is *********, the only thing he offered was to give me a $0 fine if I pled guilty, so that I would have no chance at recovering my $200 bogus towing charge.

So now, what you're saying is that on top of all of that, I would be charged some extra fee because I chose to fight the case? Garbage.

Don't they actually have to present some form of evidence? The moment the parking guy said he didn't remember a thing the judge should have tossed it.

 

[cbr_rr]

Don't they actually have to present some form of evidence? The moment the parking guy said he didn't remember a thing the judge should have tossed it.

He told me this outside because the judge asked us to see if we can settle it outside while she dealt with the rest of the people. So then the prosecutor comes out and I tell him and he says basically if the guy saw your bike parked illegally he saw it parked illegally.

It was all bogus. I figured I wouldn't be able to recoup the towing charges without proving that the parking officer acted maliciously so I cut my losses and took the $0 guilty plea. It just amazed me that nobody cared that maybe one of those idiots made a mistake. The prosecutor wouldn't just drop the case because of how garbage the evidence was. Like he wanted a win on the record no matter what. Sour experience

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