California another Street sweeper question

[craig_christ]

What is the name of your state?California I just want to know if this is unethical meter maid procedures. I pulled over for an emergency vehicle for less than three minutes car running never got out and the meter maid sent me a ticket in the mail a month later .can I fight this or not ? should I not pull over for emergency vehicles anymore on street sweeper day? I’m thinking this may be some sort of a gray area and I don’t want to go down to their office and look like an idiot, I’d like to have a little background on it if I can ,legally speaking .thank you.

 

[craig_christ]

What is the name of your state?California I just want to know if this is unethical meter maid procedures. I pulled over for an emergency vehicle for less than three minutes car running never got out and the meter maid sent me a ticket in the mail a month later .can I fight this or not ? should I not pull over for emergency vehicles anymore on street sweeper day? I’m thinking this may be some sort of a gray area and I don’t want to go down to their office and look like an idiot, I’d like to have a little background on it if I can ,legally speaking .thank you.

Just a little more background on this he was going down the street also and pulled over approximately one house behind me for the emergency vehicle also .normally I would just pay the ticket and not worry about it, But I have a feeling that this guy does this intentionally whenever possible and if I don’t say anything he will keep this practice going.From somebody’s professional opinion what action should I take ,just pay it? Or go to the city and piss and moan and in the end still pay the ticket with no satisfaction of knowing this person will stop doing this.

 

[Zigner]

Three minutes for an emergency vehicle to pass? That is not believable.

 

[zddoodah]

I just want to know if this is unethical meter maid procedures.

Whether something is or isn't ethical is a matter of subjective opinion.

can I fight this or not ?

Of course. One can fight anything.

should I not pull over for emergency vehicles anymore on street sweeper day?

You should follow all applicable sections of the Vehicle Code.

I don’t want to go down to their office and look like an idiot

To whom does "their" refer, and why would you have to go to anyone's office?

Since street sweeper tickets are handed out at the local level, the procedure for contesting one depends on the applicable local law. Anecdotally, FWIW, in November 2018, I got a street sweeper ticket because I took the week of Thanksgiving off and didn't realize that Monday was street sweeper day. The community in which I live thinks it's sufficient to post temporary signs at the entrances to the community rather than have permanent signs. I contested the ticket by submitting an appeal through an online portal. Not surprisingly, my appeal was denied, and I paid the ticket because the $40 (or whatever it was in that ballpark) didn't warrant any further time or effort.

 

[craig_christ]

Three minutes for an emergency vehicle to pass? That is not believable.

OK well first it was a hook and ladder then the paramedics went by and then about another 30 seconds to maybe 45 seconds later and ambulance went by during this time I answered my phone one time and when it was all clear I proceeded whats hard to believe about that.Kind of sounds like you agree with the dishonest practices Of fleecing down the citizens of a failed overspending broke city that’s so desperate they have to give ridiculous tickets like that for stopping for three minutes max And I didn’t time it I’m being very generous in saying it was three minutes when it probably was less And why didn’t he write himself a ticket for being parked there also ? The sign clearly reads no parking between eight and 12 it doesn’t say anything about no stopping how about if you had a flat tire or there was just an accident or some other act of God? There has to be some sort of reasonable thinking here On the part of the meter maid .some helpful information would be appreciated .And by them I mean the city where you go and you can pay the ticket you can walk in there it’s an actual building where you can pay the water bill and other things of that nature . Or better yet they have a little headquarters downtown that you can go to where they work out of I don’t know if they would speak to me or not but that’s where they park their vehicles that’s why am asking the question because I don’t know the answers.

 

[quincy]

Your question on street sweeper tickets in California is not an uncommon one apparently. Here is a link to another question on it from last year, which refers to an earlier thread posted on the same thing:
https://forum.freeadvice.com/threads/re-cali408nias-question-on-street-sweepers-parking-ticket.653994/

And, if you use the “magnifying glass” search feature and put into the search bar “California street sweeper ticket,” you will find several other threads.

 

[craig_christ]

Thank you for your non-condescending reply

 

[quincy]

Thank you for your non-condescending reply

You’re welcome, Craig.

 

[Zigner]

Your defense may be two-pronged.

One, that you did not "park" per the definition of "park" in the applicable code. You will need to research this.

Two, that you were pulled over as required by state law to allow for emergency vehicles to pass.

Your defense will not include words like dishonest, fleece, meter maid, failed overspending city, etc.

 

[Zigner]

OK well first it was a hook and ladder then the paramedics went by and then about another 30 seconds to maybe 45 seconds later and ambulance went by...

Check the attitude at the door please. Your original post stated: "I pulled over for an emergency vehicle ..." SINGULAR.

 

[quincy]

Here is a link to California’s definition of “parking:”
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=463

Here is a link to California’s yielding to emergency vehicles law:
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=21806.&lawCode=VEH

In addition, drivers should not follow emergency vehicles with lights and sirens activated any closer than 300 feet.

The street sweeping law was noted in the thread I previously linked to.

I think you have a good reason to fight the ticket, based on what you describe. How successful you will be in your fight, however, is anyone’s guess.

 

[zddoodah]

OK well first it was a hook and ladder then the paramedics went by and then about another 30 seconds to maybe 45 seconds later and ambulance went by during this time I answered my phone one time and when it was all clear I proceeded whats hard to believe about that.

"Zigner" commented that the statement in your original post was hard (for him/her) to believe. Rather obviously, your provision of additional information may make it less hard for him/her to believe.

That said, what your explanation tells me is that, after the hook and ladder and paramedics passed, you remained parked to attend to personal business before the ambulance showed up. That paints a rather different picture than did your original post.

And why didn’t he write himself a ticket for being parked there also ?

That's just silly.

In any event, bickering with a bunch of anonymous strangers on the internet will do you no good. Contest the ticket if you wish and make your arguments to whomever hears the appeal.

 

[quincy]

Well, thank goodness your posts weren’t condescending, Doodah.

 

[craig_christ]

"Zigner" commented that the statement in your original post was hard (for him/her) to believe. Rather obviously, your provision of additional information may make it less hard for him/her to believe.

That said, what your explanation tells me is that, after the hook and ladder and paramedics passed, you remained parked to attend to personal business before the ambulance showed up. That paints a rather different picture than did your original post.



That's just silly.

In any event, bickering with a bunch of anonymous strangers on the internet will do you no good. Contest the ticket if you wish and make your arguments to whomever hears the appeal.

Here is a link to California’s definition of “parking:”
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=463

Here is a link to California’s yielding to emergency vehicles law:
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=21806.&lawCode=VEH

In addition, drivers should not follow emergency vehicles with lights and sirens activated any closer than 300 feet.

The street sweeping law was noted in the thread I previously linked to.

I think you have a good reason to fight the ticket, based on what you describe. How successful you will be in your fight, however, is anyone’s guess.

 

[Just Blue]

Well, thank goodness your posts weren’t condescending, Doodah.

Considering the "tone" of OP's comments to Zig, Zddoodah posting was spot on perfect.