From Bayside Patch:Baysiders stuck with tickets issued on Bell Blvd. for parking during street cleaning hours will still have to pony up to the Department of Finance — even though the street hasn't been swept in years.
"As long as it was a violation when the ticket was written... then it's still a valid ticket," said Finance spokesman Owen Stone. "The law is written in a way that you have to obey the signs," he added.
Bell Blvd. has not had a street cleaning by the Department of Sanitation in several years. Signs prohibiting parking for sweeping from 8 to 9 a.m. on most weekdays were left up by the Department of Transportation until last month.
Councilman Dan Halloran, R-Whitestone, had blasted the DOT at a Nov. 16 City Council hearing for its refusal to remove the signs. They were removed by the DOT shortly thereafter.
"Here, drivers were paying $100 tickets for street cleaning that hasn't happened in years," he said adding, "I won't stand for my constituents getting pushed around by city government."
Nonetheless, the collecting agency, Finance, is unmoved. They are not looking into refunding paid fines, or dismissing outstanding tickets.
"I'm 99 percent sure that there's nothing legally even that can be done," said Stone.
4 comments:
Yeesh, motorists always think that they can choose to not follow the law, and then whine about when somebody tells them otherwise.
No sympathy!
And yes, the City ought to resume street sweeping.
Government needs to understand that it takes it's power from the governed. The governed have the right to expect the government to live up to it's obligations as much as they expect the governed to live up to theirs. Traffic signs should not prevent parking if the government has not serious intent to clean the streets. Put up temporary signs whenever they do get around to doing it.
So what, citizens get to choose what laws they obey? Just because nobody's enforcing them?
Sorry, that's not how the rule of law works.
No.
My point is government should only create laws that are needed and effective. When a law becomes outmoded or unnecessary it should be struck down.
Remove the signs if they are not accurate. All they do is irritate people who live in the area and reduce the credibility of government.
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