Is this parking fine legal?

[LCP]

Hi,
I got a weird parking fine today.

It was cold and raining and parking was full in front of the shops because the banks were closing. I then parked behind a car in the red line to pop into a Dvd shop to get a dvd. When I saw that a gap had opened I moved my car into a valid parking space.

Later on after I had moved my car, a Traffic officer came into the DVD shop saying he is looking for the owner of my car and says he saw me previously parked in the red zone and was writing me a ticket. He demanded to see my drivers license and then proceeded to write the ticket out on the sales counter of the DVD Shop. So by the time he fined me I wasn't even in a red parking zone anymore, but validly parked. He said he started writing the ticket before I had moved the car, but then walked round the corner!?

Is this legal?

Thanks,
Lloyd

[psheldon]

Go speak to the public prosecutor or write them.

[TirNaNog]

It's perfectly legal, you were parked illegally and you got a ticket for that - doesn't matter when or where you moved to after parking illegally, or when the ticked was written out. An officer of the law observed you parking illegally and wrote you a ticket full stop.

The exception, and I can't figure it out from your post, is if you hadn't exited the car after the first parking. I assume you hadn't? Perhaps you can use that to motivate waiving of the fine, but it's not likely from a legal standpoint. Double parking is not allowed for example, but to deem it double parking, you have to assume that was the intention of the driver - usually if someone else jumps out of the car it can be considered double parking AFAIK. Thing is... what else could you have been doing but double parking and in a no park zone?

My take... don't let it bug you too much, just pay it and take it on the chin, we all expect traffic officers to do it to other drivers.
It sucks when it happens to you but it's the nature of things.

[Ou grote]

If you don't have the money then just write a sob story letter, and you'll at least get a reduction.
But do it today.

I just pay them, its just to much hassle not to.

[hungrybeaver]

If he didn't give you a ticket while you were in the red zone then he lost out on making his quota. I don't see how he can issue a ticket after the fact, unless he told you he'd be with you shortly.

Did you get out of your car when you were in the red zone? My problem is that he fined you after, not while you were stopped illegally.

[Rocket-Boy]

If you so much as stop on a red line then you can get fined, so parked or not they are able to fine you.

[volstruis]

You are guilty either way man up and pay it.

[Elimentals]

By your argument a cop cant write a ticket for you speeding if you already pulled over, because he has to fill in the ticket and give it to you while you speeding?

[Madman88]

If he didn't give you a ticket while you were in the red zone then he lost out on making his quota. I don't see how he can issue a ticket after the fact, unless he told you he'd be with you shortly.

Did you get out of your car when you were in the red zone? My problem is that he fined you after, not while you were stopped illegally.

That makes no sense. If you go through a stop street you get a ticket after the fact. In fact 99% of the time you get a ticket its after the fact. He got caught. End of story.

[Scooby_Doo]

Isn't a read line "No Stopping" where as a yellow line is no parking?

[bullfrog]

Of course he can give you a fine.

He's a cop who saw you do something that wasn't legal and wrote you a fine. Man up and pay it.

Like someone else said, you parked in a no STOPPING area. Certain areas are designated as no stopping areas for safety reasons. Yet you still think you're special enough to stop there, either being a safety hazard or possibly blocking other traffic.

If you can't find a space to park...do what the rest of us do, park further away and walk...

Isn't a read line "No Stopping" where as a yellow line is no parking?

Yes that's correct.

[COMPUTEK]

Hi,
I got a weird parking fine today.

It was cold and raining and parking was full in front of the shops because the banks were closing. I then parked behind a car in the red line to pop into a Dvd shop to get a dvd. When I saw that a gap had opened I moved my car into a valid parking space.

Later on after I had moved my car, a Traffic officer came into the DVD shop saying he is looking for the owner of my car and says he saw me previously parked in the red zone and was writing me a ticket. He demanded to see my drivers license and then proceeded to write the ticket out on the sales counter of the DVD Shop. So by the time he fined me I wasn't even in a red parking zone anymore, but validly parked. He said he started writing the ticket before I had moved the car, but then walked round the corner!?

Is this legal?

Thanks,
Lloyd

You can ask yourself the same question - park on a red line & leave the car .... If that parking spot never opened for you to use, you would have continued with your business inside the shop = guilty.

[cr@zydude]

It's perfectly legal, you were parked illegally and you got a ticket for that - doesn't matter when or where you moved to after parking illegally, or when the ticked was written out. An officer of the law observed you parking illegally and wrote you a ticket full stop.

The exception, and I can't figure it out from your post, is if you hadn't exited the car after the first parking. I assume you hadn't? Perhaps you can use that to motivate waiving of the fine, but it's not likely from a legal standpoint. Double parking is not allowed for example, but to deem it double parking, you have to assume that was the intention of the driver - usually if someone else jumps out of the car it can be considered double parking AFAIK. Thing is... what else could you have been doing but double parking and in a no park zone?
My take... don't let it bug you too much, just pay it and take it on the chin, we all expect traffic officers to do it to other drivers.
It sucks when it happens to you but it's the nature of things.

That could have worked on a yellow line, which means no parking, so you can drop someone off and drive away. A red line means no stopping.

To the OP, just pay the fine, you did something illegal and wear caught for it.

[LCP]

Yeah, looks like I'll just have to pay up. It was just so wierd. I was written the ticket up in the DVD Shop. The oke just took over the counter and started writing. The girl behind the counter was like WTF? Thing is I live in a very small town in the EC. We don't have 1 traffic light to give you an idea. People park and drive like they want. At the time I was driving someone else's car that had GP plates. I think thats why I got nailed, because I've never heard of anyone getting a parking ticket in this town.
Anyway, ce la vie, Live and Learn
I'll try write a letter for a reduction. R300 bucks is a bit ouch! Thanks for the reply's

[Elimentals]

GP plates in the EC... that explains everything... I would even give you a ticket