Last Sunday I went down to my downtown office space to take some preliminary test shots of the boardroom and the seminar training room. On my way in I stopped at McDonalds on Front Street for an Egg McMuffin. This McDonalds does not have a drive through or a parking lot, so I pulled down the side street and ran in. As I was coming out there was a parking enforcement officer writing me a ticket. When I read the ticket it said parking in a no stopping zone – $60. This was crazy, where was the sign. It seems the sign was hidden under an overhanging tree branch. I knew I had to fight this one.
I was not able to get to the parking enforcement court last week, but I finally got there today. I got into a line that said something like report here first (basically where you get the right forms to request trial), only to finally get to the counter and be told that I was in the wrong line. I had to go down the hall and to the left for that office.
I was finally in the right line with the right paperwork, only to be stuck behind a very irate gentleman who could not understand why he got two tickets within hours of each other for parking in front of his home. When he got up to the counter he really gave the woman behind the glass a piece of his mind because she told him she could not reverse the tickets and he would have to go back out of line to fill out the forms to request a trial date. I knew I did not want to be served by her, as this man got her really angry with his shouting and accusations, so I let the lady behind me go first and I would wait for the other wicket.
When I finally got to the wicket and presented my ticket, my trial request form and photo evidence to show that sign was not visible and hoping that I might be able to get off without going to trial. The clerk entered my info and apologized that she was not able to reverse it. I was prepared to go to court and fight it, but if I could get it reversed that would have been a bonus. Then after she stamped and handed me my receipt that said I had requested a trial date and said ” you will get a letter in about 8 months with your trial date”. What? 8 months just to get a date for the trial.
When I got back here to my Toronto office space, I went into the kitchen to get an always complimentary coffee, I told another person standing there what had just happened at the courthouse. They told me that city hall lost their trial request paperwork and never sent them a trial date, then an unpaid parking ticket showed up on the bill when they went to renew their vehicle sticker.
With a municipal election coming up in November, I think this should be an election issue. The candidate who says they will ensure a parking ticket trial within 3 months or the ticket is reversed, will get my vote.
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