I parked in a No Standing zone, why did I get a ticket?

[brucetiki]

Yesterday, got an enquiry from a customer. They went to park in a ticketed parking area, went to the ticket machine, which was covered up with a sign 'Changed Parking Conditions, Please See Sign Above' (these sign appear everywhere when parking is temporarily changed for an event, and quite clearly refer you to a no standing sign). So this guy parks there anyway and gets a parking ticket for parking in a no parking area.

Upon receiving the ticket, he contacts us up to ask why!

[Flying Grype]

I remember an oooold old Sesame Street skit where Big Bird thinks the 'no standing' sign means nobody is allowed to stand around on the sidewalk near the sign. (If I remember correctly, he tries sitting on the sidewalk there instead of standing.) Luis pulls up in his VW Beetle and explains that 'no standing' means you can't pull your car over at that spot. Big Bird thinks about this and then tells Luis that he'd better drive off before he gets a ticket.

Maybe that's what your customer thought 'no standing' meant... it has nothing to do with cars.

[Viper]

Don't get me started on parking idiots. Where I work, there is a HUGE shortage of parking, and most nearby lots are pay lots (we are a permit only lot). Despite the multiple warnings that unathorized cars will be ticketed and towed, people continued to park illegally and complain very loudly about getting tickets.

It got to the point where I couldn't even go out for a 5 min lunchbreak because all the parking would be taken over by illegal parkers. Finally, they decided to start towing (after giving 2 tickets). One woman even assaulted the guy in charge of parking AND the police when they showed up because she was being towed AFTER being warned. Countless people have also gone to the local media(!) about the lack of parking and seem to have a sense of entitlement to park whereever they please.

Apparently, that sign with a red slash through a "P" means park where ever you please. I should have posted some pictures of the insane places people park if they can get away with it.

[MadMike]

Apparently, that sign with a red slash through a "P" means park where ever you please.

Maybe they thought it meant you couldn't pee there.

[LillFilly]

Yeah, that's a classic argument! Whenever I try to get someone to move out of the fire lane where it's posted 'no parking' (they get 1-warning before getting a ticket) they try to tell me 'I'm not parked, I'm waiting/sitting' I tell them same thing. Usually I get cussed at or given the finger. Still, you let one person do it, you get a dozen doing it!

[Sapphire Silk]

Parking is a HUGE problem at my CC. Students will park where ever they can squeeze in their cars, including any empty grassy space that is not roped off.

Campus Police threatened to tow illegal parkers, but I have yet to see a tow truck in the lots. Not "student friendly" I guess.

Every semester during registration, I try to sign students up for classes only to get an error message: they have unpaid parking fines. Then they bitch at me because I can't register them.

Sorry, numbwit, it's not my fault you parked illegally and racked up god only knows how many dollars in fines.

There is parking available; you just have to be willing to walk a bit if you don't get on campus early enough to get a decent spot.

[fireheart]

Maybe they thought it meant you couldn't pee there.

I can go one better.

The "No right turn sign" apparaently means "No boomerang throwing." in bogan-speak down my end.

[Argabarga]

Almost as good as the guy I saw come out of the coffee shop, look at his car, which had a ticket on it, look at the meter, which was expired, look at the ticket, look at the meter, look at the ticket, look at the meter, opened the ticket, read the ticket, looked at the meter, looked at the ticket, saw me, walked over to me and asked "why'd I get this?"

[MrsEclipse]

"Didn't you see that sign with the big letter P, the bold red circle, and the huge slash through it?"
"Yeah, I seen it."
"...Well what did you think it meant?!"
"Duh. That the letter P isn't allowed here. And good riddance. The letter M has been in it's shadow for too long. It's just a flipped around q, for goodness sakes. Nothing special."
"You really are an idiot, aren't you?"