”Hollywood’ Parking Ticket’
courtesy of ‘p_a_h’
Apparently even Congresswoman Norton’s car isn’t safe from ticketing in her own driveway. Apparently if you have a driveway, but don’t pull far enough forward in it (not just so you’re off the street or the sidewalk, but beyond that) you can, and will, be ticketed by the District of Columbia:
It’s also why the city can ticket you for parking in your own driveway if you don’t pull your car deep enough into the driveway beyond the façade of your house or building.
To be clear, we’re not talking about people who park in shallow driveways and let the rear of their cars block the sidewalk. The cars are off the road, off the sidewalk and in the driveway – just not far enough back for the city.
Worse still? If you want to use it ticket-free, you get to lease it from the city. Can you say revenue generation maneuver? I sure can. Because according to WTOP it’s “thousands of dollar a year” for the lease. Sounds pretty ridiculous.
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
pathetic
Umm, ok, so actually this makes reasonable sense to me. (1) Blocking the sidewalk is a serious problem. Ever try getting around the neighborhood with a stroller or in a wheelchair when some inconsiderate jerk has decided to block the sidewalk? (2) The sidewalk may cross your property, but it absolutely is *not* your property. You want it, you buy it, and I’d hope that the city would think long and hard about the public interest before deciding to sell it away.
Did Norton seriously make a stink about this?
Jake,
These tickets are being given to more than just those who block the sidewalk (and I agree, those people are jerks), but rather, as the article says: “To be clear, we’re not talking about people who park in shallow driveways and let the rear of their cars block the sidewalk. The cars are off the road, off the sidewalk and in the driveway – just not far enough back for the city.”