Monday’s Chicago Sun-Times spotlights a Traffic Management Authority worker allegedly parking illegally while she was out ticketing illegally parked motorists.
Ironic hypocrisy right?
Well, not so fast.
Last Monday, Minarik’s car appeared to be in a metered zone on the west side of the street with no white slip on the dashboard that would indicate she had fed the parking paybox. On Wednesday, she pulled in to the same area shortly after 8 a.m., didn’t pay to park and began checking for other illegally parked cars. She didn’t move her car until nearly six hours later.
Uh-oh!! But the TMA has an explanation.
Reached later, Minarik, 44, offered this explanation: She was, despite all appearances to the contrary, parked legally.
She says she’s sure of this because she was issued a ticket Nov. 11 for parking in the same area while on the job, then went back to the area with a supervisor who she says agreed with her that the city had not installed the proper signs for tickets to be written. Her ticket, she says, was rescinded.
My guess is this TMA knows her stuff. She knows the rules. She wasn’t parked illegally. She was taking advantage of poor signage.
I know because the city or LAZ erected the proper signs late on Monday after the Sun-Times piece was published.
If the signs are not posted properly by the city or in many cases now, LAZ Parking, you should not be ticketed for a violation controlled by the lack of, or improper signage.
This TMA saw a loophole and used it.
Bravo for her. I applaud her. Because the Geek, being a slimy weasel, likes doing the same thing–when the signs cooperate.
The only issue would be if she was ticketing other cars, utilizing the same sign loophole she was taking advantage of. Now THAT would be a problem.
But barring this example, I think it’s BS she’s facing an investigation and perhaps some sort of discipline. Maybe there are some additional details we’re not privy to. But the city, so ultra-sensitive to even the whiff of impropriety, will probably make an example of this TMA because of someone else’s screwup.
Perhaps she should have reported the problem, or found another parking space. Maybe she needs to be yelled at. Whatever the case, it doesn’t look like she was parking illegally and therefore shouldn’t be held accountable for another department’s mistake.
Read all the details in Chris Fusco’s report, “Why didn’t worker pay to park while writing tickets?”
UPDATE: Just as I thought. The block in question has some super-confusing, if not contradictorary signs. The city confirms some spaces are free aka legal to park without paying the meter.
Here’s the Sun-Times followup, “City reacts to South Loop parking confusion.”
Posted in 
Nice lack of pictures by the S-T to, oh, I dunno, show the signs that she was parked illegally.
never would happen……in revenue…….perhaps…..the tcas……should…..be ordered…..to take….public transportation…….its not like……thier……job is that essential…..they need instant access…..to a set……of wheels…..
would want to say…….good move….taking advantage of……the loop….hole……
I know that spot.
TMA’s and CPD issue “Parked Outside of Metered Space” tickets there all the time.
And the violation is only valid IF there are lined spaces on the ground and in a pay lot also.
Revenue is NOT allowed to write that violation because the City leased out 90% of the Pay Lots and we have hardly any left to patrol.
DOR -
So you are saying these tickets are regularly written even though they know the tickets are not valid?
Greg,
At one time, the tickets were valid. However as PTG would point out, the meter spots have to be clearly marked on the pavement to enforce that violation. Sadly, other ticket writing agencies care more for the number of tickets than their validity. Also there is a lack of communications between departments. Need proof? Revenue has instructed PEAs not to issue citations for covered license plates. The CPD still writes those tickets.
DoR,
Weren’t you given the memo. We can’t enforce the pay lots, because LAZ is having an issue with the monthly permits. The company that makes them went out of business.
“Sadly, other ticket writing agencies care more for the number of tickets than their validity.”
I find that interesting because it has been vehemently stated over and over here that there is no quota system in regards to parking tickets.
Greg,
there is no qouta at Revenue. Look at what was said, “other ticket writing agencies”.
TM:
Last time I worked a paylot….was overtime on a saturday off of Greenview near Belmont…you probably know the one.
And I have never seen a memo about us staying out of paylots.
If there was a memo issued….we never got it at our roll call.
But then….supervisors are not showing us memos…just reading them to us.
And Greg…..TM is correct.
We have no quota…..Supervisors at Ashland and DePaul and 95th refuse to state a number that we “Have” to do for productivity reasons.
I know PEA’s that come back with less than 25 daily and Supervisors can not complain so long as the rules are followed.
And TM….at my squad…..we were told that we can only enforce Plate Covers if they were tinted. No memo telling us to lay off it.
I never specified which agency – But I know it has been stated numerous times there is no quota for parking tickets – period. I take that to mean by anyone involved.
So you are saying the CPD has a quota?
Maybe this is another way to put the question that Greg is asking:
What if all ticket writers did an experiment, and wrote the minimum number of tickets possible? What if they erred on the side of leniency, finding every reason not to write a ticket? If it was absolutely blatant that someone had parked illegally, then a ticket is written. But if there was any doubt at all, such as any small branch obscuring the sign, the sign was turned a few degrees the wrong way, the curb paint was slightly faded, the snow is 1.5 inches deep, the car is 11 inches from the curb, etc, then no ticket is written.
If this was done for a month, and as long as the ticket writers were still doing their job, just being as lenient as possible within the law, do you think they would get any kind of reprimand, or “encouragement”, assuming that the number of tickets written dropped dramatically?
JA: It is not the Job Description of a PEA to be Lenient. It is the Job of a PEA to find violations, where ever they are; and Issue a citation for each and every violation Up to 3 for the vehicle in question.
Supervisors want us to Justify our Time daily if we can’t seem to find a Single Ticket every 30 minutes, excluding breaks and lunch.
I know of PEA’s that do less than 30 tickets a day; that supervision is gunning for with Pre-Dis’s and Incident reports. I know at least 20 PEAs that do less than 20 a day. And I know PEA’s that can Find more than 50 a day easy depending on the area they are in.
I personally issue as Few Meter Tickets as I can…I only head to pay box streets if I need a ticket OR there is nothing else to do in my beat of the day.
On the “Snow is only 1.5 inches deep” comment…DOR is under orders to NOT enforce that Sign at all…Until directed at Roll Call for the specific day. PEA’s are no longer enforcing 12inch’s from the curb.
If we, as PEA’s; Found every and any reason to not write a ticket…….well…..Respectfully…..I have bills to pay. Stupid suggestion…unless you are willing to hire me at 25 per hour plus a Pension.
Oh…and for a Best Day/Slow Day for me?
35 on a slow day.
60 on a normal day.
Best Day Ever: 200
DoR Employee said:
“It is not the Job Description of a PEA to be Lenient. It is the Job of a PEA to find violations, where ever they are;”
“I personally issue as Few Meter Tickets as I can…I only head to pay box streets if I need a ticket OR there is nothing else to do in my beat of the day.”
You contradict yourself.
DoR Employee said:
“Supervisors want us to Justify our Time daily…”
“I know of PEA’s that do less than 30 tickets a day; that supervision is gunning for with Pre-Dis’s and Incident reports….”
This may not be a quota with a number, but it’s a quota, no matter how you want to dress it up.
DoR Employee said:
“If we, as PEA’s; Found every and any reason to not write a ticket…….well…..Respectfully…..I have bills to pay. Stupid suggestion…unless you are willing to hire me at 25 per hour plus a Pension.”
If you had read and comprehended my post, you would have seen that my “Stupid suggestion” was a question with an example for purpose of illustration to try to get an answer from you, to clarify whether or not there is a quota. I wasn’t really expecting you to take my suggestion seriously. But you answered my question in spite of yourself.
And no, I’m not paying you one single dime. I pay people for doing real work that accomplishes something, work they can be proud of. Your job doesn’t qualify.
It’s telling that you call your 200 ticket day your “Best Day”. I would have thought that your “Best Day” would have been the one where people were following the law. After all, isn’t that what you want, for everyone to follow the law? Or is there some other motivation for your job?
T & F every one of you.
Traffic Control Aides are suppose to park their vehicles at the police station, 18th and State. They are to take public transportation to their posts. However, there are a few Aides who feel it necessary to park their vehicles downtown, illegally. They park in tow zones or meters. They then proceed to enforce tow zones and meters. There are PEAs, who of course, enforce their vehicles.
-And no, I’m not paying you one single dime. I pay people for doing real work that accomplishes something, work they can be proud of. Your job doesn’t qualify.
Let me tell you something, when you have a person thanking you for ticketing vehicles parked in their Residential Permit block(that they pay extra for) or having an old lady thanking you for writing a ticket for someone parked in her handicap spot, then you can say its not proud work.
I can give more examples;
-People blocking the sidewalks
-Parking in the bus stop, which creates a hazard for an accident
Here on this page you only get a NEGATIVE take on ticket writers. There is a lot of positives no one ever mentions.
DOR -
I find this interesting:
“I personally issue as Few Meter Tickets as I can…I only head to pay box streets if I need a ticket OR there is nothing else to do in my beat of the day”
If you don’t have quotas, why do you “need” a ticket?
Optimus Prime-
It’s hard to disagree with you that you hear a lot of negative stories about ticket writing and ticket writers here.
While at the very beginning, it was an outlet for me and others to bitch about ticketing–but mainly improper tickets.
Obviously there is some need for parking enforcement. Without it, chaos would rule. From my point of view, it’s not the enforcement so much, but the amount of the fines. I think in many cases fines are too high. Lower fines in my opinion would still send a message and you would probably generate more revenue through people being able to actually afford to pay their tickets.
But I digress.
My point to you is, this website would like to hear MORE examples of why ticketing and enforcement is important. I would like to read more stories of the positive side of enforcement. So, assuming you are somehow involved in enforcement, I sincerely invite you to educate us. This invite extends to all our other ticket writing friends who contribute here (Ticketmaster, DoR, Lady PEA, etc.). Help us balance things out here.
I will tell you, people like Ticketmaster, DoR and Lady PEA have vastly increased my respect for PEAs. Obviously the motorist and the ticket writer are inherently at odds and perhaps even adversarial.
But, like our PEA friends remind us, in general, if we’re parked legally, we will normally not get ticketed. Obviously, by the stories you read here, bad tickets DO get written–and that’s why this site is here too.
So, sorry to ramble. But, again I invite you and all contributing PEAs or ticket writers, tell us more of the positive stories.
E-mail me if you want: info@theexpiredmeter.com
Thanks Optimus.
Greg…..
Some Beats are a mix of industrial areas and residential. Some are Meter Havens with little to no residential streets.
Say I’m working between Chicago Ave and Madison….and Clark St. to LSD.
90% of that Loop/Gold Coast area is Metered. I would have nothing else to be looking for aside from
Exp Plates, No Front Plates, Exp or No City Stickers, and the other 100 municipal violations that we are allowed to enforce daily if we find them.
I can go out…and spend 7 hours wandering my beat; and never write a single ticket…but I better call my supervisor on my Nextel every 30 minutes to let them know I can’t find anything.
Or…
I can wander my beat daily…and issue 1 every 30 minutes….
Or I can write what I see and screw John Adams outdated sensibilities.
We do not have a Department Stated Number that we HAVE to do daily.
We have rules to follow though……the department would Like Us to issue at least 1 per 30 minutes……or call supervision if we can’t find anything.
And John Adams……..are you good at what job you have? When you accomplish what you set out to do daily would you consider that a good day? When you exceed your personal expectations for the day, would you consider that day to be better than normal?
So do I.
And yes….I do not mind if someone gets to me
Damnit…….sneezed and hit submit…..
I was saying, I don’t mind if someone gets to me before I print out a citation and leave it on the window.
I do not mind giving warnings about timeliness or better situational awareness or even a simple warning.
But certain violations do not get warnings…..I just write them.
yes……please write……about the good we do…….da bosses…..all believe….we….are…….f++k ups……nothing…..we…..do…or….say….maters…….its………their way……..or the……highway…….
DoR said:
“And John Adams……..are you good at what job you have? When you accomplish what you set out to do daily would you consider that a good day? When you exceed your personal expectations for the day, would you consider that day to be better than normal?”
Would a firemen be happier if there were 10 fires to put out, or 1 fire to put out? I’m saying you seem very HAPPY to write tickets, not UNHAPPY that the law is broken. There’s a huge difference.
I’m a carpentar. I build new, re-build old, and repair broken parts of the building I live in. If I repair 15 things, I’m happy that I was able to do so. But if 15 things weren’t broken in the first place, then I’m even happier.
That’s the difference between you and me. You lick your chops at the opportunity to find lawbreakers. If I was a PEA, I’d be sad that there WERE so many lawbreakers, not just happy to catch them.
And in your case, these “lawbreakers” are not criminals, so it’s even more meaningless to catch them.
And as far as “outdated sensibilities”: Right and Wrong don’t change, so when I see this city motivated by GREED rather than by concern for the citizens, it makes me mad.
Call me old fashioned, I don’t care.
Optimus Prime said:
“Let me tell you something, when you have a person thanking you for ticketing vehicles parked in their Residential Permit block(that they pay extra for) or having an old lady thanking you for writing a ticket for someone parked in her handicap spot, then you can say its not proud work.
I can give more examples;
-People blocking the sidewalks”
I agree with you on these. These are LEGITIMATE problems that need enforcement. But it’s hard for me to believe that this city is motivated purely by concern for it’s citizens and not by GREED. I’ll recount the story of the semi-truck parked across the crosswalk that forced a lady to push her stroller INTO THE INTERSECTION nearly getting hit by cars, and when I flagged down a cop and pointed it out, he said he had better things to do and drove away.
That doesn’t instill me with confidence in this city.
Optimus Prime said:
“-Parking in the bus stop, which creates a hazard for an accident”
Then why are buses not ticketed for NOT PULLING COMPLETELY INTO THE BUS STOP WHEN THE BUS STOP IS CLEAR? Countless times I’m stuck behind buses that don’t pull over all the way to the curb. They leave their back end out in traffic (and I KNOW they can pull all the way out of the lane next to the curb) or, worse, they don’t even pull over at all, but just stop right in the middle of hte lane and force all of us to wait, or, as you said, go around, causing potential for accidents.
Well, I’ll tell you why this isn’t enforced: Because there is NO REVENUE in giving tickets to bus drivers…they would eventually comply, and the problem would be solved. But this city doesn’t care about really solving the problems, they care about PRETENDING to solve the problems under the guise of more laws and fines, and thereby gaining revenue.
And maybe I lump everyone together, maybe I view cops and PEAs and City Workers and the Mayor all as one EVIL LUMP, greedy to get whatever they can to line their pockets, paying little attention to how it affects citizens.
Optimus Prime said:
“Here on this page you only get a NEGATIVE take on ticket writers. There is a lot of positives no one ever mentions.”
ldypea said:
“yes……please write……about the good we do…….da bosses…..all believe….we….are…….f++k ups……nothing…..we…..do…or….say….maters…….its………their way……..or the……highway…….”
I sincerely apologize to you guys that really are trying to do a good job. It sucks that you can’t please the citizens, can’t please the supervisors, can’t please anybody. I don’t think I could hold up under that. So to both of you, and DoR, Ticketmaster, and anyone else who works for the city, I really am sorry for the crap I give you here. I’m a very frustrated citizen with a strong sense of right and wrong, and what justice should be, and as I said above, I lump everyone together, and it’s “Us” against “Them”. I feel helpless to change anything, and it’s in my face everyday, everywhere I go. But that is not any of you people’s fault, and if I take it out on you, I’m sorry, truly I am.
-John Adams
No worries John..
I personally understand where you are coming from.
And as for the point about Greed over Safety…
We are going into an Election Year in this city.
Want to get rid of the bullshit violations?
Get rid of the bullshit Mayor and Aldermen…and put people into the Offices of the 5th Floor of City Hall that will serve All the citizens of this city, and not special interests.
Personally……if I ran this city…a lot would be different…….but then; I also have a distinct belief of right and wrong.
Off the top of my head….I can think of about a Dozen violations that PEA’s are authorized to enforce that I think shouldn’t be violations at all:
09-40-080 Parked/Standing Unattended Engine Running
09-64-120(a) Park on City Property
09-64-170(b) Park Truck, Self-contained Motor Home, Bus on Business Street, except for expeditious loading or unloading
09-80-080(a) Park Vehicle to Display for Sale
09-80-080(c) Park to Sell Merchandise
09-64-170(a) Park Truck, Recreation Vehicle more than 22 feet in length, Self-contained Motor Home, Bus, Taxi (except Wards 15 and 46), Livery Vehicle on a Residential Street. Note: Pickup trucks and vans are excepted in Wards 1, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 26, 28, 29, 32, 33, 37, 40, 42, 43, 46, 49, and 50
Just to name a few….
When it comes down to it Ticket writers are just out here making a living. Its hard to blame ticket writers when they are doing nothing wrong. Everything they write is on paper. There are reasons for each ordinance. I agree fines are high, but that is out of the hands of ticket writers.
One thing that I can say about CPD is that when they do not want to write tickets they wont. Countless times citizens ask them to write Residential permit tickets and they do not. CPD has more important things to do, i agree. All it takes is a min to write a citation.
Everyone Stereotypes, that is human nature. If you have a run in with a rude ticket writer, they are all rude to you. Same for police officers. You just ran into an A-hole.