Before leaving to pick up my friend last night, I was worried that I wouldn’t have anything to write about today. He was taking public transit back from the airport, so I had to pick him up at the station. I figured it would be a quick 20-30 minute trip, and then I’d be back at my place ready to hit the sack.
45 minutes and a $250 parking ticket later, I definitely had something to write about. For example, did you know that you get fined $250 for parking or stopping in a bus zone in California? Cha-ching!
So how’d it all go down? Well, I saw my friend standing at the corner, so I pulled up to let him into the car. Unbeknownst to us, he was standing in a red bus zone, and as I started driving away, I noticed those dreaded police lights flashing in my rear-view mirror.
You know, I do have to give the cops credit for enforcing the bus zone restrictions 24/7 exactly as the law states. On the other hand, seriously?!@? Is it really necessary to ticket people who stop for 15 seconds to pick someone up at 12:30 AM when that bus line isn’t even running?
In case you’re wondering, the answer is yes. With a little Googling, I found stories from other people who have been ticketed for stopping in a bus zone in the middle of the night or while dropping someone off.
In the end, I’m pretty sure that last night qualifies as the most expensive 15 seconds of my life so far. It also proves that it’s absolutely possible to do a good deed and break the law at the same time. That’s the $250 lesson I’ve learned from my parking ticket.
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, so the buses stop running and you still get a ticket? Where’s the logic in that?!
The government needs money too…
If that law were inforced in my country my friend would owe the state $250 for every day I go to Uni, he drops me off at the bus stop (so I can take the bus home).
Wow. That is absurd! I mean in the middle of the night? Some cops just like being difficult or once were written a ticket when they were younger. At least u know that u are not alone with it. Any way u can dispute it? Probably is not worth it but why not make it difficult for them?
Green Panda: There is no logic. The last bus at that stop is around 7:30 PM. My friend was literally the only person standing out on the street, since it was after midnight.
Zach Younkin: I just made my first $250 donation to the government.
doctor S: I looked into it, but it’s definitely not worth the time. I was “100% stopped,” as the ticket says, in a red bus zone, which is a no stopping/parking zone 24 hours a day according to the law. There’s no way to dispute that without telling a lie, and I have more productive things I’d rather do than spend a day in court.
Its the amount of the ticket that is absurd. You would have to work 10 hours at $35 an hour (assuming 27% in total taxes) to pay that off. If you are making $9 an hour like my old college job then your working about 40 hours to pay that off (after tax pay).
I would throw it in the trash! and then i’d sheepishly go back and retrieve it. stuff like that just blows, plain and simple, but ish happens.
we got a $250 one last year for parking in a fire lane outside of our house…..and forgot one of our neighbors is a cop, which you would think would be fine since we’re neighbors, but no. so we paid it and blocked it off…until now
Ouch–that’s one expensive good deed!
What would I do with a $250 parking ticket? Pay it and then head to a bar.
Yikes, that is an unfortunate story. $250 is absurd.
Fight it.