Booting Up

You should always try to park legally, feed the meter, and be responsible about where you put your car. If you do get a ticket, just pay it promptly and avoid further aggravation. I haven’t always been perfect on every one of these counts, but we’re all a work in progress, are we not?

However,  if you spend any time in Albany, you should closely follow my advice.

Writing parking tickets in downtown Albany has become a big, huge deal. An army of parking enforcement officers roam around hunting for expired meters and cars parked where they don’t belong. I have even see them pull out a measuring tape and check how far vehicles are from the curb. Just doing their jobs — and it’s not a job that makes you any friends.

But in case you have neglected tickets, you must see this: parking agents now drive around with license plate scanners like the ones on police cars.

boot patrol
Note the scanners on the roof.

This means if you’re on the naughty list — or more accurately, the naughty database — you’ll get caught more easily than ever before. And unpaid fines may get you booted. Pretty soon, they’ll probably use the technology to enforce the new residential parking permit system.

Not making excuses for people with outstanding tickets here, but this is certainly another example of how we’re being monitored in our everyday lives. Some people say that being watched all the time makes for a safer and more orderly society. I say it’s a slippery slope.

5 thoughts on “Booting Up

  1. It was already pretty easy not to go to Albany, for just about any reason. If you want to meet his Orange-ness, try Bellini’s in Slingerlands. Unless you work or live in Albany, it’s easier to avoid than ever before.

    Now it’s even easier to justify your avoidance monetarily. I’m sure there is somewhere to park legally park near Victory, Yono’s, CapRep or the Palace, but it’s easier just to pay your $10 rather than risk the $50.00 ticket, or towing if you’re really unlucky.

    Unfortunately for those and other sites and venues, that $10 is factored-in by many people who decide it’s not worth the hassle and expense of going to Albany. A couple of publicized horror stories (which should start any day now) and it’s going to get even tougher for business downtown.

  2. I got a ticket for parking too close to a hydrant this week. I was 11 feet away, and to be honest, I though 10 feet was the law. It is 15. Cost of the ticket? $115. Seems a bit steep to me. I was obviously a bit upset, considering people normally park two to eight feet away from hydrants in my neighborhood (center square) without getting ticketed.

  3. I thought about fighting it Rob, but I work six days a week. Unless I was able to get it completely dismissed, I most likely would have ended up losing more money if you factor in lost wages even if I got it reduced. The Man wins again.

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