got a parking ticket in san fransisco -- should i pay it?

[thomsbrain]

I got this lame ticket in San Fransisco. I was seeing a show at a club and parked in a residential area where it was legal to do so, and it wasn't in a red zone or anything. I got the ticket due to a complaint that I was blocking a driveway. The house that complained was listed on the ticket. I was very close to their driveway, but no part of my car was in front of their driveway. If they were incapable or nosing past me, they must be incapable of driving down a standard lane, cause they had like at least ten feet (In fact, they had their entire freaking driveway). Basically, the people were just being bitches cause they don't like living near a club.

So here's the deal, I've never had a parking ticket. I can protest this ticket in writing. It says if you have 5 outstanding tickets they can impound your vehicle. I'm guessing it's 5 so they can allow for tickets blowing away and stuff. I barely ever go to SF. If I don't pay this, will it be a black spot on my record forever? Will my insurance find out? If I protest it, I'm admiting I found it and saw it, and if I'm not going to pay it, I obviously don't want to do that...

Any advice.

 

[goodoptics]

If you are sure no part of your car was blocking the driveway, protest it.

 

[thomsbrain]

Will protesting it do anything more than buy me time on paying it, though? I imagine they just say, "Yeah, right, buddy, that's what they all say..." Anyone ever protested a parking ticket and had a response?

 

[thomsbrain]

ok, i protested it, we'll see what happens.

 

[Gulzakar]

unless you took a picture when you got the ticket exactly, you wont win...just pay the damn ticket and stop complaining

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

If you weren't blocking the driveway, protest it. Hope you have pictures. If you weren't blocking the driveway, the cop wouldn't have given you a ticket, right? Cops don't give out tickets like candy ya know... oh wait, yes they do. Anyway, the officer had to have some reason to give you a ticket, and someone calling up and complaining isn't something that validates one.

nik

 

[thomsbrain]

no pics, of course.

I'm only complaining because I didn't do anything wrong. Get this though: It was on March 29th. Can we say "ticket quota"?

 

[Kaieye]

Funny, I live in SF and I did notice a crack down in the past weeks that the meter maids and cops are out for a vengence. Did you know that the city is running a large deficit...

Parking is very scarce in SF and if your six inches into someone's driveway - ticket city...