Wait … Wait … Don’t Ticket Me!

The city cut a break for an out-of-town visitor who got two parking tickets — and a former mayor and two fellow New Haven natives wanted to know why.

The out-of-towner wrote a convoluted appeal to the city based on whether New Haven government even has the right to fine another ​“sovereign” person for parking violations, after getting a $20 ticket for exceeding a posted time limit, one of two tickets received the same day.

The city’s traffic and parking department decided to forgive the second ticket. ​“If you visit, and get two tickets,” you deserve a break on one, reasoned parking enforcement officer Ray Willis.

That explanation outraged former Mayor John DeStefano.

“So if I’m paying taxes here, I have to pay! But if I’m visiting, I don’t?” he asked.

The spirited exchange took place on the latest episode of WNHH radio’s ​“Wait … Wait … Don’t Ticket Me!” On the program, contestants competed to see who could guess most accurately how the city ruled on real-life appeals to parking tickets, while parking officials explained the policy. The winner stood to get $30 in free parking donated by Passport, the company that operates the Go New Haven parking app. The others would receive $10 in parking as a consolation prize.

On the latest episode, the three contestants — DeStefano; Mercy Quaye, managing director of external affairs for the advocacy group Educators 4 Excellence; and City Plan commissioner and Hill neighborhood activist Leslie Radcliffe — competed with each other for most of the show. As the last round neared, DeStefano and Quaye were tied for first place. Then all three contestants conspired and rebelled, deciding they wanted to share the spoils evenly instead. (They got their wish. So officially it was a tie.)

Meanwhile, pressed the two representatives of the city parking department — Willis and Executive Director Doug Hausladen — about their policy decisions. Especially when it came to cutting a break for out-of-town visitors.

Following are some of the real-life cases raised on the show, with the exact wording of the appeals, the city’s official decision, and some of the commentary, policy debate and good-natured ribbing by the contestants and the parking officials. Including discussions about how much ​“grace” scofflaws, intentional or otherwise, deserve when they park in New Haven.

Labor Pains

Violation: Handicapped Zone ($150)
Description: My wife was in labor and I had to run and get her
Verdict: Declined

Hausladen noted that state law requires the city to charge the $150 fine, part of a commitment to protecting the ability of handicapped people to park.

Sunday Grace

Violation: Parking Prohibited ($30)
Description: it was (the Freddy FixerParade). I was at church varick 5/21/17 the 11:30 service. I parked on the street. I did not see the sign at the time and in truth I don’t know if they were up or not. I was going to church, now my car was towed when I go out of church. Cost was 81.89 which I borrowed. please just let this ticket go I got enough on my plate.
Verdict: Accepted

Why?

Everyone deserves ​“an ounce of grace,” one opportunity to ​“screw up,” Hausladen argued.

“You forgave it because you weren’t going to get in a fight with the church!” remarked DeStefano, whose administration, when he was mayor, took heat from a church across town from Varick when parishioners got ticketed.

As Quaye observed, while the city didn’t need to worry about retribution from a man whose wife was allegedly in labor, ​“You can’t tell what God is going to do.”

No Fines Please; We’re British

Violation: Parking in a loading zone ($30)
Description: My 88 year old sister, [redacted], was visiting from Ohio. I promised to take her to the Yale Center for British Art. I was looking for a space to park not too far from the Museum. I drove down Chapel St., down York, down Elm, back south on College, back on Chapel, right on High St. (for some reason almost all of the meters on High were bagged) then back on Elm to College and back up College — there were no empty spaces. This time I decided to stay on College and crossed Chapel and, low and behold, saw a vacant space near the corner on the west side of College Street. I parked, fed the meter for two hour’s worth of time with my credit card. We walked to the museum. After such a search for a place to park, we felt lucky. When we got back we found the ticket for $30.00! I think it is outrageous that the City would place a parking meter with no notice on it that this place was a loading zone and that parking in it was prohibited. It is a trap. I looked up and saw the sign describing what turns out to be two spaces as a loading zone, a parking space away. The City should mark these spaces more clearly by placing a notice on the meter, place a sign at every loading zone space, or remove the meters. I find this grossly unfair. It is unfair to visitors to New Haven to place such parking traps in the busiest places in the City. For this reason I think I should be given grace for this parking fine. Thank you very much [redacted]
Verdict: Declined.

All three contestants agreed with declining this appeal. ​“Send them another citation for being so loquacious!” Radcliffe suggested. ​“You guys don’t have a character limit” for appeals?

DeStefano was unsympathetic about confusion over the loading zone: He said he made a similar mistake when parking in front of Shake Shack on Chapel, and, after receiving the ticket, looked again at the sign and realized he deserved the ticket.

While he defended declining the appeal, Hausladen said he does sympathize with people’s confusion. He said the city’s considering remaking many of its signs to use more symbols rather than words to deliver a clearer message, as well as redesigning parking meters. (Click here for a story and a photo about that effort.)

DeStefano asked Hausladen why he sees so many meters with yellow bags over them for reserved use. Hausaden said groups reserve the spaces for special events, and that the city brings in $1 million a year from those reservations.

Button Pusher

Violation: Meter Expired ($20)
Description: I put money in for 2 hours but forgot to press OK to start the timer before leaving for my meeting.
Verdict: Declined

Why no mercy in this case? Willis: ​“It’s a pretty important button to press.” Hausladen: ​“Hopefully you learn for the next time.”

No Breaks For City Workers

Violation: Beyond posted time limit ($20)
Description: I am a city employee. I work for the New Haven Free Public Library and was helping patrons at the computer lab at the time, so I wasn’t able to run out and extend my time. I moved my car shortly after, as soon as I could get outside.
Verdict: Declined

“City workers are supposed to know better,” Willis said. Hausladen noted that the parking ticket issue has been ​“arbitrated” and ​“negotiated” over the years with municipal unions, with city workers expected to feed the meter.

(Hiccup!) I Eventually Paid!

Violation: Meter Expired ($20)
Description: I did not have any change so I went inside to get change. After asking the bartender for quarters he informed me that the meter took credit cards so I came outside and paid with my card. When I went to leave, there was a ticket on my car. Judging by the time, it seems like I was ticketed in the few minutes I was inside the restaurant asking for change. If you look up the transaction history of the meter you’ll see I paid $3.25 for the meter.
Verdict: Accepted

Willis and Hausladen said they do have the ability to verify how late someone is in paying in cases like this one, and they also check to see if the appellant has previous tickets. In first offenses like this, they cut a break.

DeStefano challenged what he called fuzziness of the ​“too long” standard: ​“Thirty seconds definitely is in the grace period, but eight minutes is not. Where is this written down?”

“Soveriegnty” Challenged

Violation: Beyond Posted Time Limit ($20)
Description: I am a sovereign individual and I refuse to pay to park my car on what is known as public land. Besides the fact that you named this the city of new haven and and created addresses that come from the city of new haven there is really no other way to prove this being the city of new haven, if your company owns this land please send me the proof so I can examine it. I would also like to let you know even though I refuse pay to leave my property in public I was kind enough to even give my hard earned money to your crooked company which really has no right to issue these tickets on behalf of the ​“city of new haven” which your company supposedly owns. So you can go ahead and dismiss this fraudulent citation; 4230195 which you claim is $20 along with this fraudulent citation; 4119999 which you claim is $60. Both of these tickets are only a tool to fraudulently get money out of me by claiming this is a violation. Please present to me evidence which proves you own the city of new haven and the crime which I committed, and the victim. If you can not provide these things, again, you can go ahead and dismiss these both of the fraudulent citations. Thanks
Verdict: Accepted

Yes, that appeal really was accepted.

Why? Because when you visit from out of town, you’ll often get a break your first time out, especially if, as in this case, you’ve paid one of two issued tickets, Willis and Hausladen explained, leading to DeStefano’s question, quoted at the top of the story, about whether that’s fair to taxpaying city natives.

Willis noted in response that the city has other breaks for city taxpayers like Prius-owning DeStefano who, for instance, drive cars that get more than 35 miles per gallons. With the right sticker, they can park for free in legal street spots.

“Do you think it’s a bad policy to encourage clean energy use?” DeStefano shot back.

No, Willis responded. In fact, he had biked to this radio program.

Define ​“Limit”

Violation: Meter Expired ($20)
Description: First, the reason because we didn’t pay the meter is because we missed understand the sign, when it says ” NO TIME LIMIT 5pm-9pm” we though it means was, we don’t need to pay after that period of time. That was out first time in CTT, and we really misunderstand the signs there, here in NYC that mean that we don’t have to pay the meter after pass that time. It was our first time in CTT because we were doing some diligence over there. We also already got one ticket in the morning, and we shouldn’t have receive another one (in NYC after you got one ticket, they won’t give you another ticket). We already learned what ​“not time limit” mean.
Verdict: Accepted

Again, Hausalden and WIllis spoke about how some city signs are indeed confusing, this one included. Especially for out-of-towners. It’s among those being reconsidered.

Blame Yale?

Violation: No Standing ($50)
Description: I arrived at the Yale Physicians building with a friend who would be able to assist me into the building and into a wheelchair and then move the car to a metered spot and wait for me. I am injured and awaiting a spot on the surgery schedule, on crutches and can not make it up the stairs without assistance. When we arrived, we spoke to two Yale security guards who happened to be outside. We explained that we would be going into the building, getting me into a wheelchair and then my friend would be back out to move the car. the Yale security guards said that that should be fine but said to be sure that that is what we do as otherwise, the car could be towed. It could not have taken more than ten minutes for us to get inside and have my friend return to move the car but yet there was already a ticket on the windshield and no security guards or parking officer in site. I feel that I was misled by the Yale security guards as they gave me permission to do what I did when apparently, they did not have the authority to do so. I had no way of knowing that these guards are not authorized to give me permission to do what I did or even that the Yale security dept are not in charge of parking directly in front of their building. If I had known that they did not have the authority to give me that permission, I would have figured out another way. I respectfully request that this ticket be voided as I did not intentionally, disrespectfully,without regard for the rules park where I was not supposed to. I live on disability and this ticket would be an extreme hardship for me and would not have brought that hardship on myself had I not been misled by the Yale Security guards. Thank You for your time, [redacted]
Verdict: Accepted

Radcliffe, who lives in the Hill, said she agrees with the city the person deserved a break, being injured and getting wrong information from Yale.. But she did note that drivers have a space to drop off patients at the door at the building and then go find a space.

Just sayin’.

Click on or download the above audio file to hear the full episode of WNHH’s ​“Wait … Wait … Don’t Ticket Me!”

Click here to read about and listen to a previous episode.