Dispute a parking ticket

Not knowing why you’ve been just handed a glaring white ticket can be frustrating, especially if you think you’ve done nothing wrong (as far as parking rules go). It can be a tiring and costly dent in your wallet; but there’s always a small chance of getting out of parking tickets – be it through contesting the ticket, making a company fight for your parking ticket or through an app. We break down some of the best ways to get out of a parking ticket, so that you are always prepared to deal with unfair parking tickets.

1. Contesting your ticket via the legal system

If you really think you didn’t deserve that dreaded parking ticket, you can contest your ticket through mail, in person, or online (if your city provides that service). General guidelines tell us that the first thing you should do is read your parking ticket for mistakes or written typos – all of this is vital for a dismissal. Evidence, as you may have guessed, is an essential part in explaining your case; remember every detail before and after you got ticket to find any evidence you feel might is important in getting you out of it. Try to schedule a hearing within 30 days of the issue of ticket; if that doesn’t work out, head to court and plead your case, but beware if your ticket is not overturned there’s a filing fee.

Quick answer:

Parking violations and citations are not moving violations, and therefore will NOT affect your insurance rates, assuming you pay them eventually. Unpaid parking tickets may result in your registration being suspended, which can violate the the terms of your insurance policy. Your rates won’t necessarily increase as a result, but you’ll be on the hook to apply for a new insurance policy, which will cost you time and money.

Sometimes, you’re just so JAZZED writing parking tickets, that you disregard the basic understanding of your surroundings and let your car plow through a cinderblock wall. It’s bound to happen, no?

Well, it did for Santa Fe’s Parking Division employee Karmela Garcia. After stepping out of the car to write someone else a parking ticket, she turned around to find that her city-owned 2003 Chevy.. wasn’t where she left it. While some may think this would be a clever ruse to upgrade to a new taxpayer-funded company car, the general consensus is that it’s merely some highly-ironic, Grade “A” cluelessness. And to think, she even had her lucky keyring on her. Shucks!

“AHHHhhhhh shit….”

What Garcia DID say was that “she might have left the vehicle in drive and that is why the vehicle traveled down the hill“…

Take a bow, Garcia! And let the shame of a nation echo in your dreams.

California Vehicle Code

The first table below is applicable all across California, and you’ll see they are pretty straightforward: don’t block things that shouldn’t be blocked, do NOT mess with anything handicapped-related, and pay your parking ticket on time.

“But what happens if I don’t pay my parking ticket on time?” Remember that burning sensation you felt after your senior trip to Cabo? Parking tickets are kind of like that – address the problem quickly so you can move on, without it turning into something worse. If you wait to pay a parking ticket, the fine will increase dramatically (sometimes up to 200%). Rack up 5 or more unpaid parking tickets, and you’ll become the proud new owner of the Boot of Despair (pictured above).

Los Angeles Municipal Code

The following citations are specific to Los Angeles, and forewarning: some of these will confuse and infuriate you (we think “storing vehicles in the street” as an offense is pretty subjective and unclear). Hopefully reading the list will keep you informed and prevent a parking citation. And if you ARE going to risk it.. now you’ll know how much cash you’re putting on the line.

Every generation has it’s moment where the underdog clenches their fists, rises up, and sticks it to their oppressor. David and Goliath. The 1980 US Men’s Olympic hockey team. Ralphie smacking the snot out of Farkus in A Christmas Story. I think what we’re seeing here is OUR generations “moment”.

I don’t know what to call it, but I know it deserves our respect.

A reader pointed me towards TrapTap recently, saying that it has really helped her identify red light cameras without having to look at her phone using an app like Waze, or buy a bulkier red light speed camera detector. I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of these handy little gizmos and have been riding around with it for about two weeks now. It’s.. simple. And I think I like it a lot.

What it does

TrapTap is a small, wireless device that sticks anywhere on your dashboard or instrument bezel, and alerts you with a small beep (optional) and color-coded LEDs that something is approaching – be it speed traps, red light cameras, a school zone, or a hazard in the road.