$1,294 parking ticket. OUCH!

[Liberal_in_LA]

David Kleinberg parked his minivan at a curbside space in San Francisco about a mile from his house when he and his wife left for a three-week summer vacation to France.

When he got back home, he said he was met with an unexpected "bonjour from the city of San Francisco - a $1,294 parking ticket."

Actually, the ticket itself came with a $90 fine. But then there was the tow charge ($199.25), a 13-day vehicle storage fee ($768.25), a city administrative fee ($186.50) and a lien fee ($50).

Kleinberg didn't park in a bus zone, or in a handicap zone. He didn't block a driveway or the sidewalk, or fail to feed a meter. "Our sin: We parked in a legal parking space causing no harm to others - just didn't know that it would cease to be legal after 72 hours, and the car would be towed," he said.

Kleinberg, who lives in Glen Park, intentionally parked his car on Teresita Boulevard, where he wouldn't have to worry about getting a $55 fine for parking in a street-cleaning zone like he would have closer to home.

Kleinberg's car was towed July 29, but he didn't find out about it until he arrived home Aug. 10 and found a notice in the mail. He bailed out his 2001 Honda minivan that night, not wanting to incur another daily charge of $60 for vehicle storage at Pier 70.

-------------------------

Paul Rose, spokesman for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which runs the city's parking enforcement operation, said officers don't hunt down 72-hour violations on their own but usually are alerted by nearby residents or merchants. The law was put on the books to scoop up abandoned vehicles. A warning was slapped on Kleinberg's car on July 26, and three days later, the car was towed.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/12/BA6K1FBT8A.DTL&tsp=1

I agree with this comment following article:

Another example of people only concerning themselves with their OWN needs and not considering how their actions may affect others. I have no sympathy for this guy. I hate it when people leave their car in front of my house for days too.

[Lucky Luciano]

1. Sounds like the corporate garage owners charging $400+ per month lobbied well. nt

[bluestateguy]

2. I'll never understand why some people make their living by giving others parking tickets

A waste of resources.

[Liberal_in_LA]

5. Most people are glad parking enforcement exists when some parks their beater in front of the house

for weeks

[JVS]

3. What a moron.

Even if you could legally park for over 72 in one place, it is extraordinarily unwise to do so. If you're going to be gone for an extended period you should leave your car with a friend or family member. That way they can keep an eye on it so that you don't come home 3 weeks later to find it totally stripped or stolen.

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. Exactly! I'd never drive my car to some random neighb9orhood and park it for 3 weeks

Parking at LAX is only $10 per day.

[Fumesucker]

7. Not everyone has friends and/or family members with available parking..

Particularly in a place like SF or NYC..

[Liberal_in_LA]

9. Parking at the airport would have cost him about $350. Better than risking a tow

Or he could have paid for cheaper parking at a garage

If he could afford 3 weeks in Paris, he could afford to park his car appropriately

[Fumesucker]

14. I was just pointing out that not everyone has what you mentioned..

Friends or family with parking space..

[Liberal_in_LA]

21. I understand

[tammywammy]

18. Exactly n/t

[JVS]

11. Then you either suck it up and pay for long term parking, or ask a friend to do you the big favor...

of minding your car and moving it 3 times a week.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. I don't think I would want to own a car in a city like this unless I had a parking spot

I have friends in NYC who didn't buy a car until they had a garage to put it in. And seriously, if you can afford a 3 week vacation in France, you can buy a spot to park your car.

[Liberal_in_LA]

13. I live in a condo neighborhood where people are desperate for nightly spots for their 'extra' cars

We all have 1 or 2 assigned parking spots. In LA, people have 3 or 4 cars. The guy in article probably had a spot for his wife's car but not his

[Taitertots]

8. Is there a sign notifying drivers they can't park for more than 72 hours?

This is insane to extort so much money over rules that there is no direct way of knowing.

[Liberal_in_LA]

10. no sign. It's something most city dwellers know.. don't leave your car in one spot for 3 days

but you get warning before it's towed so you have more than 3 days.

[Fumesucker]

12. Better hope you don't get sick..

I can think of a number of times I've been too sick to do much of anything for more than three days.

[Liberal_in_LA]

15. I have garage. never park on street.

[Taitertots]

16. What a scam

If there is no direct way of knowing you can't park somewhere it is insane to charge them over $1,000 for a rule that there is no way to know.

[Liberal_in_LA]

20. 72 hour rule is state law. Most laws are not posted on signs.

[JVS]

17. I live in a smaller city, but I knew about the 72 hour rule from signs.

I forget exactly where, but somewhere along the streets I remember reading "Cars parked for over 72 hours will be towed"

[Taitertots]

19. They have those signs in San Francisco?

Or are you talking about a different city, the one you live in?

[JVS]

22. I'm talking about a different city, but I suspect that it's posted somewhere in SF

Even if they don't, it doesn't matter. There is no sign saying that you need to stop your car for a red light, but drivers are responsible for knowing the rules of the road. Thinking you can just drop a car off in a space for three weeks defies common sense.

[Taitertots]

24. What defies common sense about it?

I leave my car for more than three days at a time even when I'm home. It is common sense to expect that the State isn't going to steal my car and extort a small fortune from me.

"Rules of the road" has nothing to do with an obscure, unpublicized, unenforced law that doesn't serve the public interest.

[JVS]

26. What defies common sense about it is that most people would know better than to do it.

That's the way common sense works.

[Taitertots]

28. That isn't an answer

I understand that you think it is common sense to avoid parking on the streets for long periods.

What is the reason "most people" think this?

[JVS]

30. Reason: cars left long unattended on the street often get towed, ticketed, vandalized, or stolen.

People who aren't morons know this and consider it when making their decisions about parking.

[Taitertots]

31. Vehicles don't often get stolen or vandalized around here

So there is almost no risk of that happening. It isn't common sense to think your neighbors are destructive criminals around here.

Towed or ticketed:
That just means they already knew it was against the law. So it isn't common sense if you know it is prohibited by law.

People who are not assholes know that other people have already considered those things.

[tammywammy]

34. Even on my street cars will be towed

We had two trucks show up last week. They didn't move for several days, someone called the police. They had the bright neon green sticker on them and two days later they were gone. You also see cars abandoned along highways with the same stickers.

When I managed a coffee shop many years ago, we'd have random vehicles parked in our parking lot for days on end and I'd call and get those towed.

[Taitertots]

36. When you managed a coffee shop, were the parking spaces in a private lot?

Is the side of the freeway a valid parking spot? So neither of those examples are relevant at all.

You must have very different laws around where you live if they are stealing people's cars after just a few days. Or a greedy city government looking to extort money from people.

[tammywammy]

38. The coffee shop was part of a large strip shopping area

so yes I assume private parking lot.

As far as my street, I have yet to hear of one car being stolen in my years living here. I would assume the city came for those cars after someone called. If they had been parked in front of my house for days on end I would have called as well, they weren't my neighbors cars.

[Taitertots]

39. Yeah, it was a private parking lot

"If they had been parked in front of my house for days on end I would have called as well, they weren't my neighbors cars."
Why?

[tammywammy]

43. Because that's where I park or people visiting me park

My neighbors would have the courtesy to ask if they could park in front of my house. A strange car showing up and hasn't moved in days is abandoned.

[Taitertots]

45. How do you know it is abandoned?

Every mystery car that has ever appeared in front of my house belonged to someone who had a break down and had to wait to come and pick it up(work, caring for children...). If I called the police on them it would have cost them thousands of dollars, which they were in no position to spend. Next time you call why don't you think about just whose car it might be and what situation you just caused them to be in.

I guess having an extra parking space is so important for you that it doesn't matter if it costs thousands of dollars for other people.

[tammywammy]

46. An abandoned vehicle is one that hasn't moved in multiple days

The two trucks were there for days. I would guess if they were just broken down, they should have alerted the homeowner on when they expect to be able to move it and it probably wouldn't have been towed.

I haven't called to have any cars towed from in front of my house, because it's always been a neighbor.

[Taitertots]

48. Alert the homeowners? Like parking in the street is some egregious act

I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

I'm glad to hear that you haven't done that to anyone.

[JVS]

35. Until I see overwhelming numbers of people having trouble as a consequence of leaving their car...

unattended for 3 weeks, I'm going to put this guy in the "stupid idiot" column and everyone else in the "knows better than to abandon a car for 3 weeks" column. If you want to assert that common sense dictates you leave a car unattended for 3 weeks a mile from your house, you're going to have to give me some evidence that there is a consensus that it's the way to go.

[Taitertots]

37. So are you going to support your assertion that common sense dictates against leaving a car

So far all you can produce is that some people are aware of the law, which means it isn't common sense. And that you think your neighbors are destructive criminals who are going to steal and vandalize your car.

[JVS]

41. You are putting words in my mouth and I find conversing with you to be unpleasant and uninformative.

Welcome to ignore.

[Taitertots]

44. Aww, throw a temper tantrum because someone doesn't agree with you

[Liberal_in_LA]

32. yup. You can't leave your vehicle, worth 1000s, on the street, unchecked for 3 weeks

[JVS]

47. Obviously we're paranoid.

;-)

[taterguy]

49. Ever hear of the Golden Rule?

I sure as hell wouldn't want someone parked in front of my house three weeks.

Sometimes we have visitors.

Sometimes we have a 2d car.

One car goes in the driveway. The other car goes in front of the house.

I wouldn't want to schlep down the block just because some asshole was too lazy to find a proper parking spot.

[aikoaiko]

23. These things happen.

:shrug:

[frazzled]

25. He could have parked it at the airport for a lot less

Daily parking rate: $20 per day (x 21 days) = $420
Long-term parking rate: $14 per day (x 21 days) = $294

Cheaper than our airport: daily rate $31 per day, International lot rate $51 per day.

[Liberal_in_LA]

29. yup. Better safe than sorry.

[AtomicKitten]

27. He could have parked in SFX long-term parking. Oh well. nt

[blue sky at night]

33. kinda makes you feel sick.....

when you hear stories like this, and think to yourself...WTF? Surely, he could have paid for a cab to the airport? DUH? I guess you have to think differently when you live in a beautiful urban setting like San Francisco.

[sandnsea]

40. I can't do that in front of my *own* house in a small town

They consider it an abandoned vehicle, tag it, and tow it.

[flamingdem]

42. Nasty SF people report even knowing

the difficulty of parking there. It's a RACKET.