Hey, there! Log in / Register
MBTA finds innovative new ways to collect revenue
By Innismir on Thu, 09/24/2009 - 4:52pm
Unfortunately, it's by blindsiding you with nearly $40 of parking violations, giving you a nearly impossible way to challenge it, and then hitting you with a ticket as I recently found out.
Neighborhoods:
Topics:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
If you pay with cash at the honor box
You drop it in the slot corresponding to your parking space # above the slot, correct? (Sorry, I don't park in any of these style lots, so I'm going by what I've heard)
If that's the case, use your cell phone each day to take a picture of you sliding the money into the slot. It'll be a time-stamped, parking spot # annotated, piece of evidence that you paid for the spot for future problems like this.
But, if I read the article right, Innismir consistently hasn't
paid the daily parking fee on time, preferring instead to use the violation envelope they provide. That's probably why he was hit with the $40 fine.
Moral of the story - Get to the parking lot early enough to have enough time to pay. Although the T could make it a little easier by redesigning the slot boxes so you don't have to use the "wedge tool" everytime you insert a bill or a coin.
Actually the moral would be...
"Get there with sufficient time to pay, have enough ones, and hope that no one ties up the line"
Of course, it doesn't change the fact that I followed their stated procedure for paying violations and they screwed me out of my cash.
With respect, you're the first person I've ever
heard of who parks at MBTA or commuter rail lots on a daily basis and routinely uses the violation envelopes instead of paying "up front" when you park your car at the station.
If I understand the system correctly, even though there is a grace period for submitting the envelope, your vehicle plate is still recorded as a violation. Therefore, whether or not you pay your violations in a timely manner, the fact is that you have been likely flagged as a habitual violator because of your payment habits. And, don't forget to add in the inevitable time delay between when your payment is received and when it is credited.
As I see it, your situation is not much different than a person who makes continual late payments on their credit card and then wonders why their credit score is so dismal.
As for paying your daily parking fee with a check from now on, don't be surprised if you continue to receive violation notices. Unlike bills or coins, I don't believe there is anything in law that mandates that an entity must accept a check in payment for any financial transaction.
Re: With respect, you're the first person I've ever
I'm really surprised. This is very common in my neck of the woods. I know of at least 4 people who routinely do this on my train, and I am (well, at least I thought I was) the only one without a large outstanding balance.
Also, we're talking 16 violations over 10 months. 3 of which were "voided" (whatever that means). So, assuming an average of 22 business days a month, I've been late just under 6% of the time. I wouldn't call that routine. To extend that to your credit card analogy, I would be late with my credit card payment once every 17-18 months. Also, just for comparison, the Middleboro line has been late 8% of the time so far this year. ;)
My main complaint is why couldn't LAZ tell me that I had an outstanding balance any time previous to just now? The previous company did it. If I am really a habitual offender, why was the 8/21 notice the first one in over nine months to tell me I had an outstanding balance since December?
Also, regarding paying with check. Quoth my post:
Emphasis mine. I'll only be paying violations with checks as suggested by the CSR.
Good points. As for using a check,
I failed to note you mentioned violations only. Blame it on SRSF - Shouldn't read so fast.
SRSF
You suffer from that too?! We should create a support group... :)
Hmmm ...
I actually googled "SRSF" before I figured that out.
Either "doh!" or "me three".