TMC's offices are located in Norwalk, CT, and every now and then I've enjoyed driving over to the South Norwalk ("SoNo") section of town to have lunch or maybe do some shopping after work.
It's a fun, bustling and vibrant part of town - with lots of shops and restaurants and bars.
But due to a recent parking ticket I got I will never go back there to shop again.
Yes, getting the ticket was my fault: You see, the city uses this new kind of parking meter that I'm not that familiar with - it has a red flashing light at the top that tells the parking attendant that the meter is out of time. At the time I parked, on the street, I thought the red flashing light meant there was still time left on the meter. When I looked at the meter, I could have sworn it said there was still more than 30 minutes left, but apparently I didn't look close enough.
When I returned my car about 30 minutes later, there was a parking ticket on my car. The fine? $25. And there were empty spaces in front of, and behind my car. Plenty of empty spaces everywhere, in fact.
"Wow," I thought, "$25 for failing to put .50 cents in the meter? That's kind of harsh."
Then I did what most people do: I forgot about the ticket, which sat in my car for the next few weeks.
Then I got a notice in the mail from the Norwalk Parking Authority saying that the fine had doubled because I was more than two weeks late paying it.
Now the fine was $50 -- for failing to put .50 cents in the meter.
I immediately paid the fine. But I was really put-off by this. In my opinion these fines are way too harsh.
Just this one parking ticket was enough for me to decide that I'm never going to park in metered parking in South Norwalk again (at least not if I'm the one driving). I know it was my fault - but here's the thing: I could easily make the same mistake again. So, knowing myself, I've decided that it's simply not worth the risk.
Maybe I'm being a bit immature and "babyish" about this - but it's just how I feel. Also, I can't help but feel that the Norwalk Parking Authority took away $50 of my money that I might otherwise have spent on lunch, or drinks, or merchandise from on the many shops in South Norwalk. (Hey merchants, wouldn't you have liked to get that $50?)
Like a Pavlov's dog, I am now "conditioned" to never do anything that might have the same result: I will never, ever park my car in a metered location in South Norwalk again - and most of the parking there is metered.
The other day I was thinking about this experience and realizing that it's just one more reason why online shopping has become so popular. Sure, you have to pay for the shipping on the items you order - but at the same time you are saving money on gas and, in some instances, parking. Not to mention the time spent driving to retail locations.
It's also a way to avoid getting a parking ticket that quickly escalates to become a $50 fine. To me, that's pretty good motivation to skip certain retail districts altogether.
I wonder how the merchants of South Norwalk feel about this. Are they pleased with the enforcement because it keeps parking spaces in front of their shops open more often? Or could it be that the strict enforcement and harsh fines are driving prospective shoppers away? Seems to me it could work both ways - but I'm wondering if it's more one way than the other.
It's a fun, bustling and vibrant part of town - with lots of shops and restaurants and bars.
But due to a recent parking ticket I got I will never go back there to shop again.
Yes, getting the ticket was my fault: You see, the city uses this new kind of parking meter that I'm not that familiar with - it has a red flashing light at the top that tells the parking attendant that the meter is out of time. At the time I parked, on the street, I thought the red flashing light meant there was still time left on the meter. When I looked at the meter, I could have sworn it said there was still more than 30 minutes left, but apparently I didn't look close enough.
When I returned my car about 30 minutes later, there was a parking ticket on my car. The fine? $25. And there were empty spaces in front of, and behind my car. Plenty of empty spaces everywhere, in fact.
"Wow," I thought, "$25 for failing to put .50 cents in the meter? That's kind of harsh."
Then I did what most people do: I forgot about the ticket, which sat in my car for the next few weeks.
Then I got a notice in the mail from the Norwalk Parking Authority saying that the fine had doubled because I was more than two weeks late paying it.
Now the fine was $50 -- for failing to put .50 cents in the meter.
I immediately paid the fine. But I was really put-off by this. In my opinion these fines are way too harsh.
Just this one parking ticket was enough for me to decide that I'm never going to park in metered parking in South Norwalk again (at least not if I'm the one driving). I know it was my fault - but here's the thing: I could easily make the same mistake again. So, knowing myself, I've decided that it's simply not worth the risk.
Maybe I'm being a bit immature and "babyish" about this - but it's just how I feel. Also, I can't help but feel that the Norwalk Parking Authority took away $50 of my money that I might otherwise have spent on lunch, or drinks, or merchandise from on the many shops in South Norwalk. (Hey merchants, wouldn't you have liked to get that $50?)
Like a Pavlov's dog, I am now "conditioned" to never do anything that might have the same result: I will never, ever park my car in a metered location in South Norwalk again - and most of the parking there is metered.
The other day I was thinking about this experience and realizing that it's just one more reason why online shopping has become so popular. Sure, you have to pay for the shipping on the items you order - but at the same time you are saving money on gas and, in some instances, parking. Not to mention the time spent driving to retail locations.
It's also a way to avoid getting a parking ticket that quickly escalates to become a $50 fine. To me, that's pretty good motivation to skip certain retail districts altogether.
I wonder how the merchants of South Norwalk feel about this. Are they pleased with the enforcement because it keeps parking spaces in front of their shops open more often? Or could it be that the strict enforcement and harsh fines are driving prospective shoppers away? Seems to me it could work both ways - but I'm wondering if it's more one way than the other.
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