hahaha hell yes.
parking
A reader reports:
“Another prime example of our skilled drivers. Yes the driver left the car like that and after a few hour it still is like. Columbia Heights.”
When parking jobs are this bad, it’s usually a result of getting hit by a car. Though never underestimate…
Update: “Just realized this was a hit and run — police came at 11:30PM with the owner of the car to take note of the crash. I took this picture this AM.”
“Dear PoPville,
A resident pointed out to our ANC (Mount Pleasant) that there’s an ad on Craigslist offering “Free parking — DC 2016 Visitors Parking Pass (any zone) — $60”. The Visitor Parking Passes are very popular among residents, allowing them to have guests, or contractors, without having to worry about RPP parking tickets. But from the beginning, there’s been concern that the VPPs would be abused, sold to commuters with jobs in neighborhood businesses. Should that abuse be widespread, the VPP program could well be cancelled.
The law is clear: “DCMR 18, 2414.18: The forgery, counterfeiting, sale, exchange for value, or unauthorized use or replication of an annual visitor parking pass shall be punishable by a fine of three hundred dollars ($300).” That means that both the seller of a VPP (including a legitimately obtained pass), and the user (a commuter, not a visitor to the owner of the VPP), are subject to $300 fines. The serial numbers on the VPPs make it easy to connect an improperly used VPP to its resident owner.
Is this a substantial problem in this area? If so, then measures will have to be taken to stop abuse, and preserve the VPP program for residents who use it properly.
— Jack McKay
ANC 1D03″
807 V Street, NW
“Dear PoPville,
I had an interesting interaction at Atlantic Cinema Theater tonight. I was going to see the 730 show of Hail Caesar. When I drove up to the theater the entire parking lane in front of the cinema had construction cones on the curb and emergency no parking signs on the street lights. I pulled out in front of one of the lights to read the restrictions since I assumed it was a daytime no parking order for a moving truck. I was shocked to see it was for a moving truck from 4:00 pm-11:00 pm. While I was looking at the sign a guy in a valet uniform from mj parking became up and asked me what I was doing. (more…)
Photo by PoPville flickr user Phil
“Dear PoPville,
A couple weeks ago, I parked my car in an ambiguously marked tow away rush hour lane. Sure enough, when I got back the car was gone and towed off by the city.
Yes, I made a mistake parking it there, but the District definitely made a pretty bad mistake towing my AWD car at least half a mile by its front wheels without a rear dolly or flatbedding my car – totally against standard practice for towing an AWD vehicle. Long story short, $4k+ in damages to the differential and driveshaft; fortunately, my insurer is stepping in and hopefully will pursue a claim against DC’s towing service that will cover the insurer’s costs and my deductible.
I’m not writing so much about the damages, which I am upset about – fortunately they’re a sliver short of totaling the car.
The real reason I’m writing is that I think I may have a technicality that gets me around the $200 in parking fines and/or towing fees and want your advice. (more…)
hahaha thanks to a reader for sending from Chevy Chase, DC.
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Photo by PoPville flickr user nevermindtheend not the same sign – just using to illustrate
“Dear PoPville,
I am in a bit of a parking pickle because of this snow (aren’t we all) and am looking for advice.
Someone’s put up emergency no parking signs across four/five car lengths to make room for a moving truck this weekend. Parking is already tough as it is and this snow has made it a bigger nightmare. There are still piles taller than I am.
My car is parked within the no parking zone, but it is right across the street from my apartment AND I’m leaving the country on Monday and will need to bring down very heavy luggage to put in it. I am willing to incur a ticket if it means leaving my car where it is. Luckily I’m the very last car within the blocked zone and not right in the middle of it.
Worth flouting the sign? Will I get towed? Do you know of any exceptions DCPW is making in light of the snow? Enforcement is so hit or miss with these things. Hate to be a bad neighbor to these new transplants but honestly this week is inconvenient for everyone involved.
I forgot to mention that 99% of the cars on my street are still walled in by snow and the piles on the sidewalk are at least four feet tall. Which would make maneuvering a moving truck and lifting furniture next to impossible.”
Update:
From Kennedy St, NW by district kate
12th btw M and N. Not sure if his efforts were respected from Amy
Thanks to all who sent emails about the sign Andrea Noble spotted on Capitol Hill and posted to twitter:
So I guess this is the Capitol Hill version of the lawn chair. pic.twitter.com/EG3fI3206S
— Andrea Noble (@anobleDC) January 26, 2016
I wonder what happened to that spot in Brightwood…
Also Sean reminds folks that you can’t just park next to snowbanks in the middle of the street – from Adams Morgan:
“Dear PoPville,
We were very saddened to learn recently that a big black walnut tree in the backyard of a neighboring lot at 1453 Girard Street NW is scheduled to be chopped down. The tree is gorgeous, very old, and healthy. I’m attaching a photograph of it here.
The lot on which the tree sits at 1453 Girard Street NW can support two parking spots, but the developers who bought the lot and the developers who bought the neighboring lot at 1451 Girard Street NW each want to pop up to 5 units, which requires 3 parking spots per lot. The only way 1451 and 1453 Girard Street NW can support 3 parking spots each instead of 2 parking spots each is for the two lots to share a driveway easement where the tree sits, and to chop down the tree.
The D.C. Urban Forestry Administration has advised us as follows:
The healthy Black Walnut tree behind address 1453 Girard St NW has a current TOPS application (#8186) for Special Tree Removal and the permit application is currently in the Approved (Pending Payment) status. The neighboring property representative, Sima Tessema [a land developer] at 1451 Girard St NW, has permission from the manager/owner 1453 Girard St NW, Amit Vora of SHG Development LLC. to submit application to remove the tree. The tree requires compensation due to its good health. As per the Urban Forest Preservation Act, this is the procedure to be followed for trees above 55’’ circumference on private property that an owner wishes to remove.
We are wondering, do you know of anything we can do to save the beautiful tree?“
Photo by PoPville flickr user Josh Bassett
“Dear PoPville,
I just opened my mailbox and, to my delight, found TWO speeding tickets notifications. They are identical in many ways, both have $100 fines for speeding. They were also issued mere moments apart, the first at 9:53:42 am and the second at 9:54:53 am, for a time differential of 01:11. Given the shortness of the time period, I strongly feel that I have been double-fined for a single offense, and am interested in addressing this with city officials. However, I have had limited success in addressing traffic issues with the city, and I definitely want to avoid the additional fines that arise from non-payment (I would hate to pay $400 for this rather than the $200!).
I have unsuccessfully disputed parking tickets in the past, with photos and other evidence, and have always lost when sent in by mail, and had then the additional whammy of fines placed on those tickets. So, to make a long story short, I am looking for words of wisdom on this. How would you deal with a situation like this? Any advice? Does anyone know the legalities surrounding this? Do any of the city laws say anything about multiple tickets in neighborhoods where cameras are ubiquitous? Speaking of, questions like this might become more ubiquitous as the city moves towards blanketing the city with cameras.”