A MAN who was wrongly ticketed by a camera blasted the tech as “failing” – now he’s reconsidering his driving routine.
Joseph Tiska from Greensboro, North Carolina, has always taken the same route along the downtown area of the city as a longtime volunteer at The Forge.
A tech blunder with a parking camera has led a man to reconsider his long-time routine[/caption]
Joseph Tiska often drives through a parking lot located in Greensboro, North Carolina[/caption]
But on one recent occasion, the lot’s camera took a photo of Tiska’s SUV as he entered the lot but failed to record him leaving[/caption]
According to WFMYNews2, he often cuts through a nearby parking lot on his way in, which has automated cameras that photograph vehicles entering and exiting.
Tiska said: “The Forge is a non-profit maker space, it’s like a hobby shop.”
But on one recent occasion, it seems the lot’s camera snapped a photo of Tiska’s SUV as he entered – but it failed to record him leaving.
So when he left a few hours later, another photo was taken on a public street and not within the parking facility.
Tiska added: “I went through in 15 to 20 seconds, and it didn’t get me exiting.
“It reached out into the city street and caught my vehicle, but I was not in their parking lot.”
Tiska later received a parking fine in the mail and, despite contacting the parking company to explain the situation, they refused to waive the ticket.
“Their cameras and computers are failing,” Tiska said.
It was only after he contacted local media outlet 2 Wants To Know, who also provided time-stamped photos, that the fine was dismissed.
He now says he’ll rethink his routine, saying: “As for using the parking lot as a cut-through, I may need to find another way”.
BIG BROTHER
This comes as a new automatic traffic device that’s set to come to the Cheviot Hills neighborhood of West Los Angeles has led to drivers fearing over the use of their personal data.
According to local outlets, authorities are trying to make a balance between safety concerns and privacy issues.
Automated Licence Plate Readers (ALPRs) are able capture images of licence plates and store the data for law enforcement – which residents requested are a string of recent burglaries and safety concerns.
But critics, including organizations like the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, warn that such technology can infringe on privacy.
The tech can track not only criminals but all drivers – linking license plate numbers to personal information and potentially creating profiles of individuals.
This data can be misused, such as targeting protestors or vulnerable communities.
How to fight a parking ticket
You can avoid being ticketed by following all posted laws and ordinances, but sometimes mistakes are made
Like any form of citation, parking tickets are preventable by reading and obeying posted signage. However, when visiting a new city, or state, or in a hurry, things can be missed and mistakes are made.
Suddenly there’s a ticket you weren’t prepared to pay for. If the ticket is a surprise to you, there are a few things you can do to help your case when appealing a parking ticket.
- Carefully read the ticket. Look for errors like incorrect street names, license plate numbers, vehicle make and model, time and date, etc. Errors would then make the ticket invalid.
- Take photos. Of the vehicle in the parking space, lack of signage, or other vehicles that weren’t cited for performing the same parking job. If the ticket involves parking too close to something like a fire hydrant, a photo showing a reasonable distance would help your case. Make sure metadata with the time and date are accessible. Signs that are obstructed by trees, or are on bent posts, or aren’t “obvious” are great things to photograph, too.
- Make sure the statute that was violated is listed on the ticket. If not listed, the ticket is not valid.
- Promptly follow the appeal instructions on the ticket. All legitimate tickets will have directions for appeal. Waiting until the very last moment weakens your argument and can result in late fees.
- When in court, avoid these phrases as they reduce your credibility and weaken your argument:
- “I didn’t know the law.”
- “I was on my way to move my car.”
- “I can’t afford this ticket.”
- “I’ve been doing this for years.”
- “I checked with the parking officer, who said it was OK.”
- Contact a lawyer. If you’re running into roadblocks and feel stuck, it may be best to reach out to a traffic lawyer in your area. Many have free case consultations.
Source: Reader’s Digest
