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Many awoke to find neither the expected snow � nor their cars. Others found tickets on their vehicles saying they had violated the snow emergency called by the mayor.
Because of weather forecasts calling for up to 8 inches of snow, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone declared a snow emergency at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Within hours, with nary a flake in sight and barely any on the way, 3,000 cars were ticketed and another 200 were towed before the ban was lifted at 4:20 a.m.
The tickets cost $50, and the tow jobs $145.
"They shouldn't be able to charge you because they ain't got no snow," said Jeff Reislen, who got a ticket for parking on a snow emergency street. "This is ridiculous."
The mayor disagreed. He said Wednesday that he has no plans to forgive the tickets or the towing charges, which could combine for a possible $179,000 windfall for the city.
Originally posted by BlackJackal
Got to love the government, they tow your cars when not one single snow flake fall and the mayor will not forgive the tickets.
Many awoke to find neither the expected snow � nor their cars. Others found tickets on their vehicles saying they had violated the snow emergency called by the mayor.
Because of weather forecasts calling for up to 8 inches of snow, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone declared a snow emergency at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Within hours, with nary a flake in sight and barely any on the way, 3,000 cars were ticketed and another 200 were towed before the ban was lifted at 4:20 a.m.
The tickets cost $50, and the tow jobs $145.
"They shouldn't be able to charge you because they ain't got no snow," said Jeff Reislen, who got a ticket for parking on a snow emergency street. "This is ridiculous."
The mayor disagreed. He said Wednesday that he has no plans to forgive the tickets or the towing charges, which could combine for a possible $179,000 windfall for the city.
Click here for the article
Originally posted by HowardRoark
I have to go along with the mayor on this one. What if it had snowed 4 inches. With all of those cars parked on the street, snowplowing would have been difficult, if not impossible. Imagine the howls of protest then!!!!
I am pretty sure that these snow rules are posted on the streets.
[Edited on 29-1-2004 by HowardRoark]
Originally posted by mOjOm
So are we supposed to go ahead with tickets and arrests for things that could have happened, but didn't?
Sort of like "Prophetic" Law enforcement or something. Not the best way to support a system of "Innocent until proven Guilty" IMO.
Originally posted by intrepid
They were probably "on call."
A snow emergency may be declared whenever 4 or more inches are predicted to fall. It will be called 6
hours before a storm is predicted to begin.
Somerville police will announce from their vehicles that residents have 4 hours to move their cars to the
odd side of the street. Parking on the even side of the street during a snow emergency is strictly
prohibited, unless otherwise posted.
Towing will commence IMMEDIATELY after the 4-hour period has elapsed.
Plowing will begin after 2 inches of snow has fallen. Main roads, cross town streets, bus routes, and �hospital hills� will
be done first. The intent of the city is to plow wherever possible, up to the curb.
If you do not have access to off-street parking, residents may use the following locations during a snow emergency.
Schools:
Ward 1 East Somerville Community School and Michael E. Capuano School
Ward 2 Lincoln Park Community School
Ward 3 Cummings School
Ward 4 Healey School
Ward 5 Brown School and Kennedy School
Ward 6 Powder House Community School
Ward 7 West Somerville Neighborhood School
Municipal Buildings and Lots:
City Hall Concourse
Central Library
West Branch Library
(All Municipal metered parking lots)
Originally posted by HowardRoark
What arrests?
You're right, no arrests, I was using it as an example that's all
This same thing happens every year in Chicago. There are certain streets where overnight parking is prohibited from November to April. Every year, people get caught on the first day of the ban, even though there are signs right there.
The difference there is that it's not a prediction based on possible events of "Acts of God" or "Mother Nature" that are "UnPredictable" as far as Accuracy or Reliability.
I hardly think that the �Innocent until proven Guilty� doctrine applies here. The cars were parked on city streets. The city has given the Mayor the authority to declare a �Snow Emergency� should conditions dictate it. If the mayor decides to declare a snow emergency, then the city has the authority to ticket and tow violators.
I see it as being a perfectly valid comparison. All those who parked there and got tickets did nothing wrong other than not complying to an Authority figure who WAS WRONG. Being that he was Wrong, he should not Force the tickets to be Valid. If he has the Authority to Declare such Emergencies then it should also work to set things right as well.
People allow Authority Figures to Justify their BAD CALLS yet it doesn't work the other way around. It's no wonder POWER CORRUPTS, it is ALLOWED and thought of as Acceptable simply because it came from an Official Source. (Next thing ya know we'll have Government Officials starting War for "What If's" or "Possible" reasons!! Wait a sec.....Why does that sound familiar???)
Granted the mayor might have jumped the gun a bit, but then again, if it had snowed, then all of the cars would have had to be ticketed and towed anyway.
That's fine, as it would have been justified according to the Emergency Rule put into effect. I don't consider it to be justified to give me a speeding ticket on the probability that I may have sped to work or might have run a red light either. When I do, then and only then is the ticket valid.
If you were a resident of that city then you should have known that there were predictions of snow that would exceed the 4� limit. It was your responsibility to move your car off the main streets. The fact that it did not snow is not important, once the mayor declared the snow emergency, those parking banns came into effect.
The fact that it didn't snow is VERY Important, since that was the reason they got ticketed and/or towed. The Mayor would be better off admitting to a bad call and act in the interest of the People, who he is supposed to be serving. But I guess that would be a system Of the People, By the People, and For the People, which is all but a dead idea today I suppose.
Certainly the city could have waited, but then again, if I was a resident of that city, I would be very careful where I parked my car if there was even the slightes possibility of snow.
I agree. I also include the Mayor as being someone who should be careful as a Resident and Elected Official of that City as to the actions he makes.
Originally posted by HowardRoark
I have to go along with the mayor on this one. What if it had snowed 4 inches. With all of those cars parked on the street, snowplowing would have been difficult, if not impossible. Imagine the howls of protest then!!!!