Hybrid owners beware : Free-metered Parking in LA Ends without Warning or Notice
When I first bought my Civic Hybrid in 2007, and added plus to the money I would save in gas and no Smog Tests was that I could park anywhere in the City of LA without having to feed the meter. While it did not save me a huge amount of money, it did spare me the trouble of making sure I had enough quarters in my car at any given time. I still had to respect parking time limits, so it wasn’t really like a free pass.
Two weeks ago, on my way to a brunch, I parked on the street, smiled at the meter and walked away. Imagine my surprise when I returned, there was a pink ticket on my windshield for an expired meter. I thought, oh , whoever is on duty does not know I’m exempt. WRONG! When I complained to the Parking Commission and challenged the ticket, they sent me a note explaining the City Council had voted to rescind the free-parking ordinance on Feb. 10, 2009, which was to go into effect March 1st. Therefore, since the law was enacted, and I broke it, unwittingly or not, tough luck.
When I searched the subject online, I found a blog in the LA Times in January of ‘09 warning that the vote might happen, and that the City was hoping to increase funding for the year by $300.00 by doing so. There was never another article or blog that said the vote had taken place or its outcome.
This smacks incredibly to me like one of the most sophisticated “speed traps” I have ever seen: Make a new offense of a small favor and don’t inform those who will be affected. That way, when they utilize an unsolicited priviledge, which they don’t know has been rescinded BAM! You can hit them up for $48 dollars a pop, and they can’t argue cause the law is the law. Beautiful, ain’t it?
I have been consistently disillusioned with Villaraigosa’s City Council since I voted for him, but this takes the proverbial cake. As much as the City of LA cries poverty, its revenues have been consistently increased for at least the past five years. With the failure of Measure B last election, which reflects a more sophisticated and informed electorate, I guess the Council has decided its time to mine our pockets when we least expect it.
I’m in the process of fighting this further, but for any of you who are unaware of this latest strategy for lining City coffers, be forewarned: Your gifthorse has just slapped you in the mouth.