Good Idea to protest my parking ticket?

[MarkSummers]

Coming home from campus yesterday, I park on the street next to mine which I'm not very familiar with. I didn't see it at the time but there was a tall Handicap parking only sign on the side of the street which I couldn't see the top of through my windshield.

My roomate informs me today that I got the ticket and I go to get it from my car and move it. $195 ticket. Oh boy. This is my first ticket ever. Any use in protesting it to get it lowered? I understand this was totally my fault and I'm not denying that but I figure I have nothing to lose in doing this.

Any thoughts?

[sexdrugsmoney]

Some cripple was annoyed by your carelessness.

Pay the fine. /images/graemlins/mad.gif

/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[shant]

What is your protest argument going to be?

[theweatherman]

I doubt that they can raisethe fine (and by doubt i mean 'know they cant') so whats the harm in protesting it. Worst case senerio is you pay and your out the time it takes for a court date.

[sexdrugsmoney]

[ QUOTE ]
I doubt that they can raisethe fine (and by doubt i mean 'know they cant') so whats the harm in protesting it. Worst case senerio is you pay and your out the time it takes for a court date.

[/ QUOTE ]

You forget the court fee.

[MarkSummers]

[ QUOTE ]
What is your protest argument going to be?

[/ QUOTE ]

That I didn't see it. Weak, I know. Again, this was totally a result of my carelessness and I'm not trying to get out of paying the ticket. But $195 for a parking ticket is steep. I just want to see if they can bring it down.

[Iplayboard]

I just got a parking ticket on my campus the other day, although only for $30. I plan on protesting by not paying it.

[MarkSummers]

[ QUOTE ]
I just got a parking ticket on my campus the other day, although only for $30. I plan on protesting by not paying it.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a city parking ticket since I live off campus. $30 isn't much and i wouldn't have a problem with that. $50 is reasonable as well. If I don't pay this ticket though within 20 days, it goes up to $345 though.

I recently got an oncampus permit-only parking ticket. I can pay 15 dollars now, or supposidly, 50 dollars later. I'm wondering, what are the chances that I have to pay this? How would they ever force me to pay this campus issued parking ticket? Worse comes to worse, couldnt I just go to the campus parking office and negotiate a lower price?

[edfurlong]

I went to a state school and after ignoring my tickets I found that they were considerate enought to tack them on to my tuition.

On campus tickets that is.

[MelchyBeau]

[ QUOTE ]
That I didn't see it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ignorance is not an excuse to not obey the law. Just pay the fine, it isn't like it will affect your insurance or anything.

Melch

Tell them you were really drunk.

[ QUOTE ]
I went to a state school and after ignoring my tickets I found that they were considerate enought to tack them on to my tuition.

On campus tickets that is.

[/ QUOTE ]

What if they dont know its your car? What can they do?

[edfurlong]

Send it to collections and [censored] your credit I would think.

[einbert]

[ QUOTE ]
I understand this was totally my fault and I'm not denying that but I figure I have nothing to lose in doing this.

[/ QUOTE ]
Since you didn't have any integrity　in the first place, yeah I guess you're right. Nothing to lose.

[einbert]

[ QUOTE ]
I doubt that they can raisethe fine (and by doubt i mean 'know they cant') so whats the harm in protesting it. Worst case senerio is you pay and your out the time it takes for a court date.

[/ QUOTE ]

Jesus Christ what is this world coming to?

Does integrity mean nothing in this culture?

Is avoiding accepting responsibility for a mistake we have made really that widely accepted, that people would make posts like this?

What the hell is wrong with you? Don't you have any concept of humanity, mutual self? Don't you have any clue that things exist above and beyond your own personal consciousness, self-righteousness, and self-acceptance crisis? Don't you actually think about things like this before posting your answer?

Humanity is headed for some pretty shitty places as long as we have people like you and the OP at the helm.

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I understand this was totally my fault and I'm not denying that but I figure I have nothing to lose in doing this.

[/ QUOTE ]
Since you didn't have any integrity in the first place, yeah I guess you're right. Nothing to lose.

[/ QUOTE ]

wtf are you talking about?

He wants to know if he can go in and tell the truth, right? Since when did you become a supreme moral authority.

[einbert]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What is your protest argument going to be?

[/ QUOTE ]

That I didn't see it.

[/ QUOTE ]
We got a real genius on our hands here. Next thing you know, it'll be Mark Summers, Ph.D posting on these forums.


[ QUOTE ]
Again, this was totally a result of my carelessness

[/ QUOTE ]
Agreed.

[ QUOTE ]
and I'm not trying to get out of paying the ticket.

[/ QUOTE ]
Oh really?

[ QUOTE ]
But $195 for a parking ticket is steep. I just want to see if they can bring it down.

[/ QUOTE ]
Actually I hear that's about the going rate.

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What is your protest argument going to be?

[/ QUOTE ]

That I didn't see it.

[/ QUOTE ]
We got a real genius on our hands here. Next thing you know, it'll be Mark Summers, Ph.D posting on these forums.


[ QUOTE ]
Again, this was totally a result of my carelessness

[/ QUOTE ]
Agreed.

[ QUOTE ]
and I'm not trying to get out of paying the ticket.

[/ QUOTE ]
Oh really?

[ QUOTE ]
But $195 for a parking ticket is steep. I just want to see if they can bring it down.

[/ QUOTE ]
Actually I hear that's about the going rate.

[/ QUOTE ]

Where did all this stuff come from? Did you come home to find your wife [censored] the mailman?

Please someone kill me if I am ever as big of a prick as einbert.

[rodney]

no

[einbert]

[ QUOTE ]
wtf are you talking about?

He wants to know if he can go in and tell the truth, right? Since when did you become a supreme moral authority.

[/ QUOTE ]

He simply wants to avoid facing the consequences of his actions. It's that pure and simple. The worst part of it all is that he realizes it was a mistake on his part, he realizes there is no decent excuse he can give, and yet he still wants to try to run away from this consequence.

I'm not a supreme moral authority, and my statement that "he didn't have any integrity in the first place" was a poke at "I have nothing to lose." The truth is that by protesting this ticket, he will have lost some of his integrity if he aspires to be the kind of person that accepts responsibility and deals with circumstances rather than runs away from them. And I doubt at his next job interview that he will tell his potential employer how he sometimes knows things are his fault, but still does everything possible to avoid dealing with the damage he's created. Because that's obviously not the kind of person that people hire. He's going to put on a false persona, he's going to act as if he does accept responsibility, he's going to talk about himself as someone who approaches challenges, problems, and unfortunate circumstances directly rather than runs from them for as long as possible until they are finally to be dealt with. The word integrity basically means "one as a whole", in other words it means not being a hypocrite. Not being one thing one day and then proclaiming to be something else the next day, when you very well know that you are going to keep committing the same hypocrises (because you were aware of the nature of your hypocrisy when you first committed it, which he obviously is).

Doesn't the value of integrity mean anything to you sponger? I don't mean that with any hostility or aggression, it is not meant to be a loaded question. In any case it pains me how much some people absolutely don't give a [censored] about integrity, when it is one of the few values I can actually recognize as being good and even of God.

[Reef]

you're fighting an uphill battle

[tonypaladino]

Wow I can't beleive some of the responses. People are being harsh. There is nothing wrong with trying to get a parking fine reduced or dismissed. A majority of traffic court judges will reduce first time offenders, especially in cases where the sign was not clearly visible.

[einbert]

[ QUOTE ]
Where did all this stuff come from? Did you come home to find your wife [censored] the mailman?

Please someone kill me if I am ever as big of a prick as einbert.

[/ QUOTE ]
Perhaps I went too far with my rant. I will admit that I was (and still am) quite angry at the attitude being displayed by some people in this thread (particularly the OP). I may have handled my anger inappropriately by being too much of a lecturer (or maybe even just a jerk) to this guy. I'm not quite convinced of that just yet, though. Perhaps I will reflect some on what I've written.

If you had someone with you all the time to kill you if you were ever as big a jerk as I just was, you would probably have been dead long ago. I think the same is true for all of us. Or at least 99%.

[einbert]

[ QUOTE ]
There is nothing wrong with trying to get a parking fine reduced or dismissed.

[/ QUOTE ]
I agree with your statement completely (in a vacuum, obviously).

[The Truth]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
There is nothing wrong with trying to get a parking fine reduced or dismissed.

[/ QUOTE ]
I agree with your statement completely (in a vacuum, obviously).

[/ QUOTE ]

I always try to get my parking fines increased; cause im rich and I dont give a [censored] /images/graemlins/smile.gif


-blake

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
If you had someone with you all the time to kill you if you were ever as big a jerk as I just was, you would probably have been dead long ago.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well...uh...I'm getting better. I've started trying to respect people's opinions, although that makes me hate this forum more because all you read about is stuff like "OMFG YOU DONT THINK XXXX IS THE GREATEST XXXXX, U MORON".

Anyways, your response to my first post criticizing you was really good, trying responding more like that instead of "We got a real genius on our hands here. Next thing you know, it'll be Mark Summers, Ph.D posting on these forums."

[ChipWrecked]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If you had someone with you all the time to kill you if you were ever as big a jerk as I just was, you would probably have been dead long ago.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well...uh...I'm getting better. I've started trying to respect people's opinions, although that makes me hate this forum more because all you read about is stuff like "OMFG YOU DONT THINK XXXX IS THE GREATEST XXXXX, U MORON".

Anyways, your response to my first post criticizing you was really good, trying responding more like that instead of "We got a real genius on our hands here. Next thing you know, it'll be Mark Summers, Ph.D posting on these forums."

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought this was going to be a lame thread and almost didn't open it; but now I'm glad I did.

[MarkSummers]

To einbert. Okay I come across like an ignorant prick. I'm sorry. But a few things in my defense.

$195 is actually not the normal going rate for a ticket. My roomates have all gotten tickets for forgetting to move their cars on alternate parking side days and they have only gotten tickets around $50.

Also, It's not like i'm trying to completely rip off the system and make out like a bandit. I parked in the wrong spot and it was completely my fault. Next time I'll use more discretion. I'm pretty sure that right there is the definition of learning one's lesson. However, that doesn't make it wrong for me to want to reduce the ticket. I'm still going to have to pay money to the city for my wrondoing but, I'm not rich and I would like to save a few bucks if possible. What's wrong with that?

Also, just by my attitude I can tell you think I'm a real drain on society and that people like me are going to be the end of the world. Looking to get out of my debt to society, completely selfish, ignorant, cold-hearted, etc. I get it. It's not a big deal though. It's a freakin parking ticket.

I promise you, if i thought it was morally important for me to pay the full fine and not try to get a reduction, I would do that. But I don't think it's necessary for me to pay the whole thing. I'm not a bad guy who eats children. Just trying to save a few bucks.

There are way more important things to worry about. Chill.

[siccjay]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I doubt that they can raisethe fine (and by doubt i mean 'know they cant') so whats the harm in protesting it. Worst case senerio is you pay and your out the time it takes for a court date.

[/ QUOTE ]

Jesus Christ what is this world coming to?

Does integrity mean nothing in this culture?

Is avoiding accepting responsibility for a mistake we have made really that widely accepted, that people would make posts like this?

What the hell is wrong with you? Don't you have any concept of humanity, mutual self? Don't you have any clue that things exist above and beyond your own personal consciousness, self-righteousness, and self-acceptance crisis? Don't you actually think about things like this before posting your answer?

Humanity is headed for some pretty shitty places as long as we have people like you and the OP at the helm.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are right, what is this world coming to? When people care this much and rant about something that really isn't that big of a deal. I'm guessing you are 35-45, maybe 50. I'll sure be glad when your generation are all in homes pissing and shitting into little baggies.

It isn't like the OP has been a douchebag and said OMFG IM NOT PAYING THIS BULLSHIT TICKET!!!!!!1111 He just asked if we thought he had a chance to get out of it by explaining how it was an accident.

To the OP: Uhhh I doubt you will get out of it. I know that here in KY, if you go to court and plead guilty for speeding tickets, you usually get the MPH over reduced (and the find as well). This works especially well if you are a hot chick. 200 bucks seems really, really high. Maybe if you go down there and explain the case they will knock it down a little.

[TheMetetron]

Handicap parking fines are expensive dude. You are screwed.

I didn't pay Cal Poly when I went there.

12 tickets later they put a boot on my car (after I stopped going there incidentally).

[MyTurn2Raise]

don't protest...it will waste your time...they will not give in...read Franz Kafka's "The Castle"

Depends where you're from. In Ontario, going in and pleading guilty will always save you money. Showing up early and settling with the crown attorney before you go to court will also always save you money. If you're not looking to avoid the fine completely, your best option is to go in, plead guilty, and then appeal the decision no matter what. Hopefully, they'll forget about it. Otherwise, pay. If you have a full-time job, it's usually not worth it to do this, and they know it.

[jason_t]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What is your protest argument going to be?

[/ QUOTE ]

That I didn't see it. Weak, I know. Again, this was totally a result of my carelessness and I'm not trying to get out of paying the ticket. But $195 for a parking ticket is steep. I just want to see if they can bring it down.

[/ QUOTE ]

Revenue from parking tickets is huge cash cow for American cities. Do not expect ignorance to be looked kindly upon.

[bravos1]

[ QUOTE ]
What is your protest argument going to be?

[/ QUOTE ]

Just tell them you ARE handicapped... at least mentally.

Not far from the truth.. the only valid reason that you can use to claim WHY you did not notice the sign.

[djoyce003]

Aren't they required to have the handicap sign PLUS the handicapped painting in the spot as well...I don't think it's legal to have just one...that might be a valid argument if that's in fact the law and you take a picture of that spot and explain that you didn't see the sign.

[Piz0wn0reD!!!!!!]

once i went to court to protest an MIP (the court was in another city about 1.5 hours away). I didnt get it lowered at all AND got a parking ticket while i was in court cause it took forever /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[theben]

definetly protest. find whatever formal prodecure there is and write a good letter. i bet if you make a good case and show it was an accident and that you care, they'll significantly reduce the charge. be sure to lie, but dont make it too obvious