1. 

   Mr. Crankypants
   

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   What makes people think they can park in a "truck load only" zone and *not* get a ticket? I work in a store on Market Street with a truck zone just outside. The sign is clear and unmistakable: "DON'T PARK HERE between these hours, unless you're a truck making a delivery or pick-up."

   Yet, every day I see dozens of people park there and "just run in" to a restaurant or perhaps to use an ATM, etc. Often, they're only in that spot for less than ten minutes, though just as often they're out there for well over the 30 minutes the sign allows (that 30 minutes is for trucks, mind you).

   I take great pleasure in seeing the small fraction of people who get tickets for their behavior, and especially those who try to talk their way out of it. I can tell you this much: You park your car in a truck zone to go get lunch (or really, at all), the three parking cops I've seen will NOT be cutting you a break, no matter your excuse.

   Your thoughts?

   Posted 3 years ago #
2. 

   20feet
   

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   Some of the load zones say Trucks only, and some do not. If it says trucks only, then obviously you cannot park there unless you are a truck. If it is only a load zone I see no problem with someone parking there as long as they don't stay more than the allotted time.

   Posted 3 years ago #
3. 

   Mr. Crankypants
   

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   Really? It's okay to park in a loading zone if you're, say, going to use the ATM? Getting some food or a coffee? "Just run in" to a shop and grab some little item? What part of any of those is covered by the "loading zone" designation?

   Posted 3 years ago #
4. 

   Miss Radish
   

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   How on earth will it be determined that you hadn't unloaded something? It wouldn't be worth the parking enforcer's time to walk into the business and confirm it.

   I wouldn't have a problem with it, as long as the driver is not parking where it's specified "trucks only", and they're out of there in less than thirty minutes. That's how residents did it when I lived on Capitol Hill.

   Posted 3 years ago #
5. 

   Mr. Crankypants
   

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   The attitude that "If you can't prove I didn't unload something means I don't deserve a ticket" baffles me. They don't need to "prove" anything other than you parked where you shouldn't have parked, which is as easy as seeing your car in that spot. But I suppose if "that's how residents did it" in some other neighborhood, then it must be okay. Selfish rules for self-important jerks, huzzah!

   I'm reminded of the car with the "If you can read this, thank a teacher" bumper sticker getting a ticket in the 30-minute business load/unload zone outside Tulley's a few weeks ago. Too bad the driver couldn't read the sign. It can be assumed that the parking enforcement officer happily wrote the ticket without checking inside to confirm anything. I'm sure the coffee was worth the additional $40, too.

   Posted 3 years ago #
6. 

   ballardmike
   

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   If I'm going to LOAD up on ATM money I may pop into one of those if nothing else is available and no truck waiting to use it. It's my way of reducing my Carbon Footprint by not driving around the block five times hoping a spot will open up. =]

   Posted 3 years ago #
7. 

   Anonymous
   

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   I'm pretty sure that under the letter of the law, if you park in a 30-minute load and unload zone that does NOT specify only trucks (and I imagine somewhere it is written a truck driven by a person stopping to get lunch doesn't count - it has to be a delivery truck) is legal. It doesn't say *what* you need to load and unload it just says 30-minutes only and you'd better be doing something right near your car even if it is going into the ATM in the store right by there or "loading up" on your take-out food for lunch and then coming right back out. I suppose I could look it up. I think I will ...

   Anyway, a long time ago when I worked at the UW and parking was scarce, I was the one in charge of having cars towed from our parking lot when people parked there illegally. I have to admit that I had a reputation of enjoying sinister glee when I got to tow some rich punk's daddy's Hummer or Porsche. I know - my karma is going to get me for that probably.

   Posted 3 years ago #
8. 

   Wrier Brose
   

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   Some cars have truck license plates, which allows them to occupy a truck zone.

   Posted 3 years ago #
9. 

   marigold
   

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   True Wrier....our "passenger" vehicle has commercial plates on it so we can park in a "loading zone". If you didn't know what to look for on the plates you would think we are breaking the law, when in fact we are not.

   Posted 3 years ago #
10. 

    Mr. Crankypants
    

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    I'm well aware of truck plates on passenger vehicles. This isn't the issue, however. The issue is people who simply don't feel like paying for a parking spot because there's a loading zone here that nobody is using. If you have a legitimate reason to be in that spot (like the restauranteur who got a ticket while unloading veggies because he apparently doesn't have truck plates) I've got no problem with you. In fact, I wouldn't go out of my way to remind someone they're in a truck zone because it's up to the police to handle that function. That doesn't stop me from being irked by the behavior (I suppose it does make me a self-righteous hall monitor, though).

    My question was, and still is, what makes a person think they shouldn't get a ticket for it? And apparently it's a misguided sense of entitlement.

    ballardmama, I'd be interested to hear what you dig up in your research.

    Posted 3 years ago #
11. 

    Rudy
    

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    for a more detailed description (with signs!) http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/parkingload.htm

    Posted 3 years ago #
12. 

    Mr. Crankypants
    

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    Thanks, Rudy. That's about what I believed the rules to be. I'm going back to hall-monitoring now. Maybe I should change my user name to Mrs. Kravitz. :)

    Posted 3 years ago #
13. 

    marigold
    

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    Mmmm, I think Crankypants about sums it up.

    Posted 3 years ago #
14. 

    Gilman Girl
    

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    I think it was The Beaver who was the hall monitor, no wait, it was Bobby Brady.

    I had an old bfriend call me Gladys Kravitz before. If we all pay attention, our hoods will be safer.

    Mr. CPants, this type of sneaky quick parking really dings me too. Go get 'em!

    Posted 3 years ago #
15. 

    Mr. Crankypants
    

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    Thanks, GG (and you too marigold - I chose this name for a reason, clearly).

    Ohhh, I remember that Brady Bunch episode. Bobby really got into that job, didn't he? That's what happens when you're the youngest kid, you just go overboard when you get a little responsibility.

    I do make sure I thank the cops when they write people up. I think they don't get enough appreciation for the task (particularly today when the oh-so-pretty blonde in her Volvo got all indignant when she didn't just get a warning. She told the cop he had a choice and he was just choosing to be mean to her and she hoped someone said something nice to him today so he'd see what he could have done for her).

    So I went out and thanked him for doing his job (one that can't be all that fun, really). They always seem to appreciate the positive feedback.

    Dammit, I seem to have used up all my parentheses.

    Posted 3 years ago #
16. 

    NWKitty
    

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    If you park in a truck zone without the appropriate license plate you will be ticketed no matter what amount of time or whether you are loading or unloading anything. I actually call 625-5011 and report. Sometimes they get there in time, sometimes they don't. The delivery people that come to where I work have a hard enough time trying to park their large vehicles without some yahoo thinking it is okay to park illegally to get food, coffee or cash.

    That being said, I agree with Ballardmama on loading zones. I don't use them when I do drive but it doesn't bother me if someone is running in and out quickly. I do know that parking enforcement doesn't view it that way though so be careful.

    Posted 3 years ago #
17. 

    teigyr
    

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    ballardmama, I like your UW story! Every year I run a race in Calif and there is notification the street will be blocked (ie no parking) on a certain date. The notification is up there for ages. Every year I walk to the race start in the morning and see them towing cars off the street. I find a certain amount of humor for those people waking up and looking out only to NOT see their car out there!

    And whether or not it's right to block a street for a race or have unloading only zones or whatever...if the sign says not to park there it's a pretty good idea not to park there.

    Posted 3 years ago #
18. 

    collingswood
    

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    My brother is a parking enforcement officer in Portland and he always has great stories to tell. If you see an officer giving your car a ticket, save the excuses. The officer has already heard them all. Be contrite and apologetic and perhaps the officer will rip up the ticket. In some municiplaities the officer is not allowed to rip up the ticket, but it is legal in Portland.

    His most recent story involved a car blocking a fire hydrant with the blinkers flashing. As he was writing the ticket the owner, with three kids in tow, ran up and said she was not really parked because her blinkers were flashing. That excuse didn't fly, so she said she had parked there to buy a Xmas tree and how could he give her a ticket for doing that. He informed her that christians were expected to obey parking rules like everyone else. Finally she said that she was absolutely wrong to park there and she was very sorry. She finally hit the right button and he tore up the ticket. It would have cost her over one hundred dollars for blocking a fire hydrant, and the ticket would have put a big dent in the family's Xmas.

    Posted 3 years ago #
19. 

    mostobstreperous
    

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    Having spent years in catering and working at a commissary in Fremont that had a 24/7 Load/Unload in front of it, I was always surprised how it was used as a convenience zone. We would often wind up blocking a lane of traffic or pulling on to the sidewalk to load or unload a van, usually quite full. I developed a simple rule of thumb: if you can leave your trunk/tailgate/door open, you're loading and unloading; if you lock up, you're parking.

    BTW, if a business calls to report that a loading zone near their business is in use by a parked vehicle for more than 30 minutes (and business owners will always say it's been over 30 minutes), it's an tow as well as ticket if you're not back fast enough.

    Posted 3 years ago #
20. 

    Alysse Martyn
    

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    The place I used to work in the U District had a few of the 30-minute load/unload only signs a couple of doors down in front of the UW Medical Clinic on Roosevelt. They must have made a lot of money for the City. The parking gendarmes were always chalking tires and ticketing several times each day. Later they changed the signs to 3-minute passenger Load/Unload only, and the parking officer told me they would ticket even when there was a driver in the car if it had sat for more than three minutes. The tow trucks were very busy with the 30-minute zone and even busier after the 3-minute zone.

    Posted 3 years ago #

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