A DISABLED driver was slapped with a ticket after a “simple mistake” – forgetting to hang her handicap placard – even though she had a valid permit.
The incident happened in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Charlie Booker was hit with a parking ticket after using a disabled space.
“I decided to call TMJ4 because there are a lot of senior people who are in their late 60s, 70s and 80s, that probably forget to hang up the handicapped sticker, and then the City of Milwaukee goes around and gives you a ticket,” Booker told TMJ4 reporters.
She said the fine felt wrong because she had every right to park there.
“Whoever gave me this citation, they didn’t bother to get out and look at my license plate,” she claimed.
“If the person who gave me that citation had gotten out, looked at my license plate and ran it, they would have seen that I had a handicap sticker.”
Reporter Andrea Albers investigated the case and discovered that parking officers can’t just run a plate and confirm a placard.
That’s because the hanging permit is not linked to a vehicle’s registration.
It is meant to be portable, so you can use it in any car, even if a friend or family member is driving you.
That means forgetting to display the placard will still land you with a ticket, no matter how valid your permit is.
Wisconsin’s Department of Transportation says there are ways to avoid repeat fines.
Drivers with a permanent disability can swap their regular plate for a disabled plate, removing the need for the hang-tag altogether.
If you do get ticketed, there’s also a way to fight back.
The city says you can dispute a citation by contacting Milwaukee’s violations bureau, then requesting a municipal court hearing.
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; or 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
