Can You Talk Your Way Out of a Parking Ticket?
Another minor item of interest for those of you looking for clarification on where you stand with Tacoma’s parking enforcement officers. From last week’s City Manager’s report, in response to a Council question regarding the policy or guidelines for the writing of parking tickets when “the patron is standing there or nearby,” Public Works had the following response:
Parking enforcement officers have discretion when they are approached by parking patrons to positively engage and educate them on the infraction and if the patron is able to correct the infraction (add coins, move out of no parking zone, etc.) the officer may elect to not issue the citation or void the citation. In instances where they are not able to immediately correct the infraction (expired tabs, no front plate, etc.) the officer would not typically void a citation that has already been issued. If an officer is confronted by an upset patron and unable to establish a reasonable dialogue, feel unsafe or threatened, they have been instructed to disengage and leave the area.
The moral of this story?
Filed under: Parking
2 comments
T tac_roark January 30, 2012
A couple weeks ago I parked to duck into my office for 3 minutes. I was heading to the Muni Building for a meeting where I would need to pay for parking. When I came out there was a parking enforcement officer. She listened to my story and did not write a ticket. I was very pleased. She said I could have purchased time at the Pacific Avenue meter and use the tag up at the Muni Building parking stall. Good to know.
J John February 1, 2012
So … being agitated will cause the officer to disengage and leave the area? That sounds foolproof!