Would hostile ticketing practices discourage you from visiting University Circle?

Submitted by Evelyn Kiefer on Sat, 07/19/2008 - 09:22.

Recently I received a parking ticket while parked at a meter in University Circle. In some ways  this was nothing unusual for me. I often park at meters when I drive to University Circle for work or entertainment (usually several times a week). Like most people I know, I accept that once in a while I will get delayed or loose track of time and get a ticket. I have always paid my tickets without a complaint.

This $25 City of Cleveland parking ticket is another matter though.

The parking cop handed it to me as I was pulling away from a parking space, wheels cocked engine running. 

I knew my meter was about to expire. I raced to my car. No ticket on the windshield. Thought I was safe. But the parking cop came over to my window and said she wrote it so she was giving it to me.

My first reaction was that's the last time I'm driving to Univesity Circle! I live within walking and biking distance, so I did n't mean that I'd never be back. But I feel that such aggressive ticketing could discourage other people from coming to University Circle. Do we want out of town visitors handed a surprise bill for $25 when they linger to long in the museums? I think that's just too mean. If the car is unattended and the meter has run out put a ticket on the window, but the personal touch, a grumpy face with an expensive ticket, can really ruin someone's day.

( categories: )

Yes

Submitted by lmcshane on Sat, 07/19/2008 - 12:38.

Short answer--common sense--shouldn't UCI realize it?  Was it UCI or CPD?  I am confused.  I just got my invitation to the golf outing in support of UCI's police force (Disclaimer: I don't golf! I have contributed to UCI).

BTW, this post is somewhat ironic, given your response to the Simone posting.  I am glad that REALNEO allows us to hash out our different perspectives on a topic, because we need to talk and then talk some more and we need to acknowledge, when someone goes too far or not far enough.  I suppose I might say, in response--do all misdemeanors lead to felonies?  No.

Ooops... that was not Evelyn but Norm...

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 07/19/2008 - 14:24.

Sorry, Laura... I posted about unreasonable force on Evelyn's account, by mistake.

As for "do all misdemeanors lead to felonies", that has been the case for me.

I was stupid enough to get a bunch of tickets downtown, one Fall when I was meeting all the time with a lawyer on E9th, and on a birthday found out that it kept me from registering my car, and renewing my license, at a time when I couldn't afford to clear it up in time, and suddenly I'm in jail for driving with expired tags and expired license... felon... costing $1,000s of dollars... I avoid driving and entire areas of Ohio because of that citizens raping kinda bullshit... and I avoid parking and so going downtown because of heavy-handed parking strategy, public and private, encouraging parking lot owners in NEO to tear down historic landmarks to become super-rich... god bless free enterprise, with police enforcement!

Disrupt IT

You and Tim

Submitted by lmcshane on Sat, 07/19/2008 - 14:47.

Caught dressing up as women, again!

Aggressive ticketing

Submitted by MaryBeth Matthews on Sat, 07/19/2008 - 12:56.

Yes, I do avoid areas where the ticketing practice is aggressive.

When I received three tickets in the mail for exceeding a 25mph limit by 5, 5, and 7mph in East Cleveland one month last year, I do my best to avoid driving through the city.

I am a law abiding driver, I never received a ticket in my life until a couple of years ago, although I did receive a few warnings. I live in Cleveland Heights, and was pretty happy with the city services, until the past few years when I began to see a new trend in the police department.

Like two years ago, when my 14 year old son was ticketed twice for skateboarding, and then I received a ticket for an illegal left hand turn after 7:00 AM ( it was 7:06 with no traffic) at the end of my street in, and another ticket that summer for no rear license plate light. ( Funny, when I checked it out at home the light was working)

One would think that for minor incidents like these, the officer would note the address on the person's ID and think.."Hmm this person PAYS MY SALARY, let me just give him/her a warning."

Well, when the time came to vote on an income tax levy to help pay for city services, I thought about those tickets and what they cost me, and how much extra time the CH police must have to harass citizens for very minor offenses, and I voted NO.

I hope city officials keep these things in mind when they are trying to figure out how to pass a levy.

Won't happen in my city

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 07/19/2008 - 21:49.

I don't think there is a single parking meter or pay lot in all of East Cleveland... there is plenty of free parking, public transportation, and people walk and ride bikes... healthy

Disrupt IT

Inner Circle

Submitted by lmcshane on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 21:54.
Make yourself heard at the visitor center:
innerCircle

 

 

University Circle Visitor and Living in the Circle Center Grand Opening

Live. Work. Play. Learn.

VC

Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Press conference - 10:30 a.m.

11330 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44106

 It's an exciting week for University Circle and University Circle Inc. (UCI). This Wednesday, UCI opens the Visitor and Living in the Circle Center presented by National City; unveils a new, interactive website; and rewards consumers for patronizing and visiting merchants and institutions in University Circle with the Find Yourself in the Circle Pass.

Join us at the Visitor Center as we publicly present
the Find Yourself in the Circle campaign