Suburban Office Park Citation Nazis

[David]

Just had a birthday the last weekend on November. My tag renewal slipped my mind but I renewed online on the 1st. I work in a bland, cookie cutter office park that doesn't see much through traffic. I leave work to head out for lunch and notice one of those bright green envelopes flapping on my windshield, enclosed is a traffic citation for an expired tag.

Albiet it's a legit ticket, the extent the city is going through to fine violators just seems ridiclious. I'm parked in a double row parking lot, with another vehicile parked behind me. They REALLY had to be looking hard for this.

Turns out this has happened to several other coworkers and it hasn't been limited to expired tags either. They've issued citations for other minor non moving violations as well.

I'm just saying, I prefer the old fashion method of an officer pulling me over and issuing a ticket face to face, scouring your city's denizens' work parking lots to issue them tickets seems to be a bit over the top. Is the city THAT broke?

I'm not sure, but it's a dick move eitherway. At least the ticket nazi's have extended their reach beyond downtown, it's no longer an urban core issue. Southside's in their crosshair's too!

[danem]

If you renewed online before this, they should've found that out by looking it up! First time I ever got pulled over was for this reason, but the decal just hadn't come in yet, so it was only a warning since he found out the registration was "good".

[mbwright]

Really makes you feel welcome.

[acme54321]

I know someone else who had the same thing happen a few months ago.  First time I'd heard of it.

The propety manager at that office park has probably worked some deal with them.  Otherwise I don't think they could patrol private property like that?

[copperfiend]

I got a ticket for the same thing when I was in an Office Depot a few years back. I was literally inside for 20-30 minutes. I assume some cops go out of their way to find these for some easy money.

[JSquared]

Same thing at my lovely office park. Had the renewal sticker and updated registration sitting in plain view on the passenger seat. My fault for not just putting it on the plate when I got it, but still.

[Dog Walker]

Parking Department's ticket van was in 5 Points just a little bit ago.  It is one of the vans that has the cameras on both sides that scan license plates as the van drives by and compares then to a database of stolen cars, unpaid tickets and expired registrations.

They ticketed at least three cars.

I am sure that they just drive through the office parks doing the same thing.  Much faster than doing it manually.  $$$$$

[peestandingup]

Cops in general are being a lot more aggressive here in general I've noticed. Budget issues I guess?? Who knows, but I've seen a lot more sitting hidden around where I live out in the burbs during the last couple months than I have the entire 4 years we've lived here.

Regardless, this seems pretty unfair to be stalking an office parking lot looking for expired tags. Just another way the middle class gets the cost pushed onto them (as if owning a car wasn't expensive enough). Good thing we have a choice & can take good public transit or safely bike to where we want to go.....Oh wait.

[Ralph W]

They could have a field day if they patrolled the parking lots on game days or any of the other events that draw people to the downtown areas.

Pay 10 bucks to park your car and come back later to find you might owe another $250 clams for some infraction.

Heck, they could even afford to buy a few more camera vans and park at the final approach to all the bridges. Kachiiiiiiing! Think BIG, Jacksonville. There's gold in them there plates.

[copperfiend]

They could have a field day if they patrolled the parking lots on game days or any of the other events that draw people to the downtown areas.

Pay 10 bucks to park your car and come back later to find you might owe another $250 clams for some infraction.

Heck, they could even afford to buy a few more camera vans and park at the final approach to all the bridges. Kachiiiiiiing! Think BIG, Jacksonville. There's gold in them there plates.

I would not be surprised if they go through the parking lots at the mall during the holidays and do this too. The garage at the Avenues could be a goldmine.

[airdalecv59]

If you had read a past issue of the Weekly there is a new appointed Paking Enforcement Operations Supervisor. She has lauch a Jhiad to  generate potainal revenue  for her department, Parking Enforcement is supposed to be  enforcing PARKING LAWS. tHE KEY WORD IS" PARKING" What does and expired tag have to due with parking ?

[Dog Walker]

They have always done license plate checks while doing parking enforcement.  The new technology just makes it a lot easier.

I got a ticket (rightfully so) for putting a license plate holder on my car that covered the registration sticker while parked beside the Main library.  My carelessness cost me $25.

I wonder how many stolen cars they have recovered with the new vans?

[Overstreet]

Just renew it early or on time and you won't have the problem.

[David]

They just ticketed our poor printer repair guy for having an expired tag. Same story as me - only a a week or two past his birthday. COJ's parking enforcement is BRUTAL!

(Although it's kind of funny when it happens to someone else)

[Dog Walker]

I wonder how many stolen cars they have recovered with the new vans?

Got my own answer.  Ran into the parking van guys walking into Publix last week and asked them if they ever came across stolen cars with their plate checks.  They said yes, but that never reported them to JSO because the cars would be gone by the time JSO arrived and they didn't want to spend the time involved.

This strikes me as wrong.  Enforcing parking more important than recovering stolen cars?!!!  Maybe we should talk to Jack Shad, who is the new head of Parking for the City and get the priorities reexamined.