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| Re: Parking Ticket for USD 255, what do i do about it?
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Posted on: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 14:15:33 -0400
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wrote in message
news:1155912984.521993.70140@74g2000cwt.googlegroups.com...
>A revised version. I don't know why there weren't any comments. Maybe
> it was too rubbish. But I think this one is much better....
>
You've probably already taken it where it needs to go, but I'll reassure you
anyway. It looks pretty good to me, you've certainly covered everything and
made your case. Hopefully, they'll be impressed by the amount of work you've
gone to to deal with this.
The thing I'd add is why you are in the U.S. (conference? training? -- they
may be interested in how you can afford an overseas plane ticket and not a
parking ticket). Also, I believe "sympathy" or "understanding" are the
word you want, instead of "catholicity". It may be technically correct, but
few motor vehicle employees are going to understand it! :-)
Good luck -- let us know what happens.
> ------
>
> Initial Review Request
> August 17, 2006
> Citation No. 167799
>
> Dear Sir/Madam,
>
> I was driving a car (Registration: 5PEU356) rented from Hertz with a
> foreign driving license on August 14th 2006, when I received a ticket
> for parking in a bus loading zone with a bail for $255.00.
>
> I declare the parking violation is completely unintentional and I
> obeyed traffic regulation to the best of my knowledge. I request an
> initial review from the Office of Parking Violation for the following
> reasons.
>
> Firstly, this is my first visit to U.S. I arrived on 12th Aug 2006. The
> violation was on my third day in U.S. There is no training or
> introduction available for me in the airport before I drove away. I
> asked for introductions but all Hertz provided me is a leaflet with
> limited traffic signs. I carefully studied the leaflet before starting
> the engine, but there is no information about parking on the leaflet at
> all (copy of leaflet enclosed). Although I have been driving in my home
> country for three years with a clean record, I have not driven in U.S.
> before. (Copy of flight ticket, passport and driving license enclosed)
>
> Secondly, it was very hard to find a parking lot in the area of
> violation location. On 14th Aug, I was going to lunch with a friend. I
> circled around for several times and there is no lot in three different
> public parking zones. Then I saw a line of cars parked under a green
> sign of "2 hour parking 9am - 6pm" (As in Photo 3). I parked
> where Photo 4 is taken and I went to Kapp's Pizza Bar just opposite
> of the street (Photo 1).
>
> Thirdly, Bus Loading Zones are confusingly marked in differently places
> in different ways. I visited San Francisco on 13th Aug, where bus
> loading zones are marked clearly with a big white square painted on the
> street with "BUS LOADING ZONE" in it. That was the first and only
> impression I have about a bus loading zone before I drive in Mountain
> View. Back in my home country, where buses are more heavily used, a
> typical bus stop is much bigger and easily identifiable. (Please refer
> to Photo 5).
>
> Further more, a pole with no sign was next to my car and a tree next to
> it blocked my sight. Photo 2 is a close up shot for the green sign I
> mentioned above. From photo 2, 3, 4, there is no bus sign and there is
> no marking on the ground or anywhere else showing this is a bus loading
> zone. The pole does not have anything on it. There might used to be a
> bus stop but could have been removed. On the day when I went back to
> take the photos, I found a bus sign behind the trees. Then I realized
> the sign is obscured by that tree next to where I parked.
>
> I talked to several people about the citation and they all said they
> can not tell clearly this is a bus loading zone from the situation I
> have been in. However, they told me that a red curb does mean "no
> parking" in U.S.
>
> I failed to obey the regulation because in my country we do not have
> that convention for painting curbs in red. The red curb is also
> confusing because sometimes they have "NO PARKING" painted on it
> but most of the red curbs are not painted with anything. It is
> reasonable for a foreigner to think that there are two types of red
> curbs, one is not park-able, and the other one is park-able. The curb
> where I parked does not say "fire lane" or "bus loading zone"
> or "no parking" at all. Photo 4 also shows the curb is painted in
> red for several feet and unpainted for several feet and it goes on till
> the end of my eye sight, which my understanding was a beautiful
> decoration of the street.
>
> Now I understand clearly that all red curbs mean no parking. I also
> understand clearly that a bus loading zone may or may not be clearly
> marked on the ground and I know a bus stop in U.S. can be very
> different to bus stops in my home country. If I would know red curbs
> means no parking and the bus stop sign isn't obscured by a tree, this
> violation will never happen.
>
> As far as I understand, in U.S. a fine is hardly a purpose but a way to
> teach people to obey the laws in the future. I have spent enormous time
> learning US regulations and conventions after the incident. I could not
> sleep for more than 5 hours everyday during my stay in U.S. And I have
> started to lose hair. So please believe this ticket to me is already
> far more effective than a ticket to other U.S. citizens.
>
> I am a citizen of a developing country in Asia. English is not my
> native language. The average salary in my city is about $1500 per year.
> A bail of $255 is a huge amount of money to me. I have been and will be
> very upset about this for a long time. This travel is a business travel
> (B-1 visa). Otherwise I will never be able to affort a trip to U.S.
>
> I hereby sincerely appeal to the office to kindly dismiss my ticket or
> reduce it to an affordable price. I am seriously sorry for my rudeness
> and inconvenience caused to U.S. government and U.S. people. I am also
> expecting great catholicity from U.S. authorities to third world
> country citizens.
>
>
>
> I hereby declare that the situation described above is true and
> correct.
>
>
>
> Signed: Witness (passenger on car):
>
>
>
>
> -snip-
>
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