How to Fight a Parking Ticket in Washington D.C.
As your approach your car, you notice a meter maid furiously scrawling on her costly pieces of paper. You swear it was only 25 minutes ago when you put enough money in the meter to cover 30 minutes. You quickly glance at your watch and realize your expensive error. The $.23 screw is now going to cost you over $25.
Be Respectful & Plead Mercy
The best way to GET a parking ticket in Washington D.C. is to be indignant. Getting upset or reasoning that you pay plenty of taxes to the District of Columbia will get you absolutely nowhere. The best way to fight a parking ticket in Washington D.C. is by being calm and trying to explain the situation to the meter maid. I have seen leniency by some kind meter maids but only BEFORE the parking ticket is actually placed on the vehicle.
Washington D.C. Meter Maids In Action If the parking ticket has already been issued and is on the windshield of your car, forget about pleading your case. I used to work on Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E., a busy street with parking meters in front of a busy retail store, Frager’s Hardware. People would run out and get upset when their car was slapped with a ticket either because they didn’t bother to money in the meter or their time had expired. If the ticket had already been issued and was on the windshield of the car, 100% of the time, the meter maids would simply walk away. There must be some sort of rule that once the parking ticket is on the car, the meter maids probably don’t have the authority to revoke it and the only recourse for the frustrated party to fight a parking ticket in Washington D.C. is the courts.
Other Parking Don’ts
The other place I have been dinged are parking meters near restaurants or major streets which convert from paid meter parking to free street parking in the evening. You see other people leaving their car at the tail end of rush hour and it’s still 15 minutes till 6:30 pm. This is when the meter maids cruise parked cars. If you are trying to score a premium spot, put money in the meter, even if it’s just for the final fifteen. Or if it’s in a restricted area where you’re not supposed to be parking because it’s a traffic lane, if you must or feel compelled to nab the space, remain in the car because you can always move it if you see a meter maid approaching. The worst that can happen is that you’ll simply be asked to move. But if you are seriously holding up traffic, parked in the parking lane, early, please do us all a favor and circle the block.
The Best Fight is No Fight
The best way to avoid getting into a heated argument and having to fight a parking ticket in Washington, D.C. is to avoid getting a ticket in the first place. Even if you’re just dashing into a store for a second and are caught without change, flag down a passing pedestrian or fellow motorist for change. The other clue is that if the retail establishment you are visiting has warning signs posted saying parking enforcement is regularly enforced take notice. Throughout the day, we would constantly broadcast “Parking enforcement is on Pennsylvania Avenue”. Our warning attempts would often go unheeded. Scores of cars without money in their meters would be papered within minutes.
Keep the Change Old pill bottles holding quarters or even keeping an old coin purse in the car are like bullions of gold when digging around for change. Having a cache of change at the ready is the best way to fight a parking ticket in Washington D.C. Spare change anyone?
