City of Van Parking Meter Flashing Zeroes Ticket! WTF

[badbadboy]

I was walking the seawall yesterday and parked at a place with multiple hour parking. A sign saying No parking April 3 - 7. So I thought it was ok.

I paid via my app, it took my $ ok and off I went.

I came back with about 25 min left on the meter and got a parking ticket indicating it was a violation called "flashing four zeroes bylaw 2952".

If you read this 29 page pdf, you will note near the end you are not allowed to park by a meter flashing four zeroes. Presumably it means the meters are out of order and its the responsibility of the parker to know this law. Honestly, I never check the meter after paying with my app. I assume since they take my money and its ok to park there at that time; there is no need to read their silly bylaws.

By my count, there were five other cars in a row all with the same tickets under their wipers.

Yes, I will be fighting this BS. Took pics of the meter, screen shot of my app showing the time remaining and the street sign indicating parking was ok yesterday but on April 3 - 7.

http://former.vancouver.ca/bylaws/2952c.PDF

 

[tadolder]

i tried parking at a meter downtown and the app wouldn't let me, saying the meter was unavailable to use at this time. Sounds like you have a case BBB.

 

[Riza]

I know this bylaw, all its meant to do is stop people from getting free parking when a meter is out of order. If there is an alternative way to pay (paybyphone) the ticket shouldn't be issued.

As far as I am concerned you have a 99% chance of winning and are completely in the right. They just figure most won't take the time to fight it and just pay. Another city money grab.

 

[Stamkos]

I was walking the seawall yesterday and parked at a place with multiple hour parking. A sign saying No parking April 3 - 7. So I thought it was ok.

I paid via my app, it took my $ ok and off I went.

I came back with about 25 min left on the meter and got a parking ticket indicating it was a violation called "flashing four zeroes bylaw 2952".

If you read this 29 page pdf, you will note near the end you are not allowed to park by a meter flashing four zeroes. Presumably it means the meters are out of order and its the responsibility of the parker to know this law. Honestly, I never check the meter after paying with my app. I assume since they take my money and its ok to park there at that time; there is no need to read their silly bylaws.

By my count, there were five other cars in a row all with the same tickets under their wipers.

Yes, I will be fighting this BS. Took pics of the meter, screen shot of my app showing the time remaining and the street sign indicating parking was ok yesterday but on April 3 - 7.

http://former.vancouver.ca/bylaws/2952c.PDF

Hey B3, I had the same thing happen. The parking ticket is really geared to those that coin feed meters and try to take advantage of broken meters by not paying. In my case I called the by law office. They can look up your app payment instantaneously and see that you paid and they will waive the ticket.

Cheers, have a great Easter pal!!

 

[Stamkos]

That is total bull (ticketing a customer who PAID).

I'd bring a printed out credit card statement showing your payment and/or your app, where you can show that.

How the heck are people who pay by phone supposed to look at the actual meter EVERY time, just to make sure it's working, especially since the phone app ACCEPTED your payment?

I better be careful, whem I park for a WCA or Luxus Models date.

R&SFTH,
Tim McGee.

Calm down. No need to print anything out. One call to the by law office is all it takes. The number is on the ticket.

 

[CanineCowboy]

Let us know the end result BBB, I never check meters for anything but parking restrictions, and when you phone in to the system, it even tells you the meter will not show your credit, so flashing zeros wouldn't trigger a red flag to me.
Personally, I get about two deserved parking tickets a year.

 

[mercyshooter]

COV is pretty outdated when syncing with technologies.

 

[rayrice]

Last month I was nail twice in one day with meters that didn't work !!! Screw the city !!! It's just a cash grab for them.

 

[Stamkos]

Last month I was nail twice in one day with meters that didn't work !!! Screw the city !!! It's just a cash grab for them.

So, after you got the first ticket did it not register with you that maybe you will get another if you park for free at a broken meter again....sometimes you just have to help yourself!! :loco:

 

[sybian]

I caught a parking Nazi in the middle of writing me a ticket in a commercial zone.....I informed him that with my Agricultural plates he was in the wrong.
I in fact ,with those plates can park there, without a fine.....He looked at my plates and didn't have the faintest clue what I was talking about.
I found it unbelievable I had to point out that what he was doing was wrong....I mean, they should know that shit.

 

[storm rider]

I wish Calgary still had parking meters.We have the "park plus" system for years now.You have to go to a kiosk and enter your plate number and the parking zone you are in and then pay for the time you want to park.For enforcement the city has camera wagons that drive around the downtown/beltline etc all day long.If you are parked or even stopped and the car rolls by you if you have not paid for parking you get a ticket in the mail.Yeah you get a ticket if you are just dropping a person off and the car goes by you.

I sure miss the parking meters.Park and pay and that was it.I usually had $10 worth of quarters in my centre console just for this and if I saw a chalk jockey waiting for the 3 minutes to expire so he could write a stranger a ticket I would feed a couple of quarters into the meter to thwart him.I had one say to me that I could not do that and I told him to piss up a rope.

SR

 

[SkinnyJohn]

I can imagine the City saying the onus is on the driver to pay attention if the meter is working or not prior to paying with the App. Makes me think they will make you pay at least half the fine. This sucks because sometimes there is no parking around except a busted meter. Not fair.

 

[Riza]

I can imagine the City saying the onus is on the driver to pay attention if the meter is working or not prior to paying with the App. Makes me think they will make you pay at least half the fine. This sucks because sometimes there is no parking around except a busted meter. Not fair.

A bylaw enforcement guy told me the reason behind the law is to stop people from intentionally breaking or jamming meters to get free parking. If the time is paid for I think it mutes the reasoning behind the law. I think it will be voided.

Just my opinion.

 

[felixthecat]

A bylaw enforcement guy told me the reason behind the law is to stop people from intentionally breaking or jamming meters to get free parking. If the time is paid for I think it mutes the reasoning behind the law. I think it will be voided.

It makes sense, though not so sure if many drivers would break the meters. I thought about it after depositing some coins into a faulty meter. The coins would stuck, which made me think the local bums had an incentive to break the meters and fish for some coins later.

I remember parking by a broken meter and paying by phone. Told the phone lady about the broken meter, too. It would be a shock if I got a ticket after that. Live and learn, stupid laws are everywhere.