I know there's been trouble with cars parking on side streets around commuter lots, so let me say I can understand some of the frustration of the residents when people block their driveways or mailboxes. As a commuter, I've always tried to avoid blocking access to anyone's driveway or mail, but I was surprised when I recently received a ticket for an ordinance that I didn't even know existed.
In the attached picture you can see I received a ticket for parking within 7' 4" of a driveway, in violation of a county ordinance for parking within 10' of a driveway. First, I've never heard of the ordinance (maybe that's my mistake), and secondly, I don't think anyone can reasonably say I was blocking the driveway. And for that matter, did the officer measure the distance from the driveway apron, or the asphalt?
Take a look at the picture and judge for yourself. I don't think I'll take a day off work to argue a $40 ticket, but I have to wonder whether Fairfax police have anything better to do than measure the distance between people's bumpers and driveways.
.
Attachments:

I think they're cracking down on parking violations. (hello revenue!)

Either that or someone complained. That spot might "belong" to some homeowner's car.

Hey bmkay, ya think it might have something to do with the fact that the homeowner complained and since you couldn't be located the officer had no choice? After all, you were a commuter parking some place no where near your work or home? Your lucky you've gotten away with it for as long as you have. Don't be so damn judgemental. Pay yer ticket and shaddup.

Slapshot Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hey bmkay, ya think it might have something to do
> with the fact that the homeowner complained and
> since you couldn't be located the officer had no
> choice? After all, you were a commuter parking
> some place no where near your work or home? Your
> lucky you've gotten away with it for as long as
> you have. Don't be so damn judgemental. Pay yer
> ticket and shaddup.


Easy now, don't cloud this conversation with facts..

.
Attachments:

Whoah! You mean someone driving a BMW parked like an asshole?? Who would have figured?

Pay up you scumbag parking criminal. The general fund needs your money to redecorate the BoS Chairman's office. The drapes Connolly had up were atrocious.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2009 08:11PM by nakedshoplifter.

You gotta love the internet. The intelligent dialog, the witty repartee, the statement of "facts," and sharing of ideas. If only real life allowed this level of anonymous slapstick. :)

bmkay Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You gotta love the internet. The intelligent
> dialog, the witty repartee, the statement of
> "facts," and sharing of ideas. If only real life
> allowed this level of anonymous slapstick. :)

find another hobby then, like maybe a girlfriend

Howie Feltersnatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Whoah! You mean someone driving a BMW parked like
> an asshole?? Who would have figured?


LOL....+10

Damn, now I got a crick in my fucking neck from looking at this dickwad's sideways pic.

So does this mean the county police go around with standard-issue tape measures?

We can tell the homeowner didn;t complain, becuase their grass is dead. The only complainers are those who have grass that they firtilize weekly.

What's the difference between a BMW and a porcupine?

A porcupine has the pricks on the outside.

KeepOnTruckin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We can tell the homeowner didn;t complain, becuase
> their grass is dead. The only complainers are
> those who have grass that they firtilize weekly.


It actually appears to be zoysia grass which grows dormant in the colder months

Howie Feltersnatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Whoah! You mean someone driving a BMW parked like
> an asshole?? Who would have figured?

Ah, don't be jealous of my paid-off beemer; I won't think less of you for driving your rice burner with the tincan noise-enhancement muffler.

bmkay Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Ah, don't be jealous of my paid-off beemer; I
> won't think less of you for driving your rice
> burner with the tincan noise-enhancement muffler.



LOL. He isn't jealous of your car,just pissed at the way you park the Barbie Mobile.

People park like that in my neighborhood all the time (people who clearly don't even live on the block) and it's nice to see someone actually getting in trouble for it.



But yeah, I gotta agree with the majority of people here- you claim you've paid off that car of yours so quit bitching and pay up because it sounds like money is absolutely no problem for you..


If you find that you're still crying yourself to sleep because of the $40, take your complaints to court and stop trolling the internet for sympathy.

There are so many angry, bitter people on this forum.

Its creepy what dark feelings this place lets people voice...

You should totally go to court over that. Be sure to tell the judge that you think the cops have better things to do and shouldn't be enforcing any laws you deem unimportant. Post back and let us know how that works out.

...and the unoriginal sarcasm.. Its like a cat's scratching post in here, but where people can sharpen their witty personalities without fear of being personally embarrassed if they manage to fuck it up.

"This illegally-parked BMW driver will be EMOTIONALLY DEVASTATED by this biting sarcastic suggestion of how he handle his parking ticket. I WIN!! Finally."

fucker should have gotten keyed.....

bmkay Wrote:

"Parking not allowed with 10' of driveways. Police will enforce FFX PD FFX FFX Police Non-emergency only upon enforcement request/complaint of the driveway owner(s)."

http://www.bbhca.org/PDFs/Parking%20Restrictions%20in%20Fairfax%20County.pdf

Even better..

I guess the driveway owner called this one in on you:
"
Parking not allowed with 10' of driveways.Police will enforce only upon enforcement request/complaint of the driveway owner(s).

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/parking_restrictions.htm

Let see.. $3 = 6 DONUTS .. wowwwww $40= 80 DONUTS ....Thank you BMKAY

Interesting...we live at the end of a cul-de-sac and between our family and the two houses left and right we probably have 17 cars (lots of teenagers plus guys with a pickup or SUV in addition to a daily driver). Invariably the mailbox is blocked and/or cars are along the entire curb on either side of our driveway which narrows from two cars wide at the driveway to a little over one car wide at the curb. If you park straight to the curb your car is at an angle and some mornings you can just barely squeeze between them.

Too bad that using this tactic with your neighbors would make you seem like a total tool. We have gone the route of asking them politely and it has not been effective.

Good summary of the rules here: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/parking_restrictions.htm

Question about my neighbor's DC taxi...

Section 82-5-26(a) states that vehicles must have a current VA license plate if they are parked on public roads. Section 82-5-7 restricts commercial vehicle parking with the exception of one taxi per property. Does one supercede the other? That is, can my neighbor legally park his taxi, or is the fact that it has DC tags override this?

It is a large Lincoln Town Car and he parks it in a way that makes it difficult to see kids playing in the street. He says that he cannot park in his driveway since it would block others in the house from using the garage. IMO, not my problem.

Oh boy here he is again with another cop/donut joke....."COP" you are just way too funny. Now you are putting your math skills on display. What will he think of next?

SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT, YOU BROKE THE LAW AND ARE CONFUSED AND ANGRY BECUASE YOU DIDNT KNOW THE EXISITED?

YOU ARE AN IDIOT AND YOU DRIVE A CRAP CAR

bYcXF Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You should totally go to court over that. Be sure
> to tell the judge that you think the cops have
> better things to do and shouldn't be enforcing any
> laws you deem unimportant. Post back and let us
> know how that works out.


"Judge... [pulls out wallet w/ pictures] You see this fine german automobile? The one right here, catching your eye... Yea... its payed off... This case should obviously be thrown out, and the officer should be fired immediately."

Fairfax County needs the revenue, there's a $650 million shortfall. The second floor where you pay these fines at the Gubamint Center has been doing brisk business for the last few months. A steady stream of customers, myself included just last month.

The law is the law and if you didn't know about it that is no excuse. Is it ticky-tack? Yes. Is it worth the $40? Well, you're the one that has decided to use someone else's street as your parking lot instead of paying at the proper lot, which means lost revenue for the Metro, who is also hurting for funds.

You really think that the man won't get their dollar out of you? Consider it a fee for going all those months without paying a dime for parking where you really shouldn't be parking. You got off easy.

I almost got a ticket for parking my car in front of my own house a few years ago. It was parked backwards from oncoming traffic. I didn't think that was illegal but I learned from it. Learn the lesson.

nevermind.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/09/2009 11:53PM by strates.

Police will enforce
only upon enforcement request/complaint of the driveway owner(s).



See

http://www.bbhca.org/PDFs/Parking%20Restrictions%20in%20Fairfax%20County.pdf

TomMadison Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interesting...we live at the end of a cul-de-sac
> and between our family and the two houses left and
> right we probably have 17 cars (lots of teenagers
> plus guys with a pickup or SUV in addition to a
> daily driver). Invariably the mailbox is blocked
> and/or cars are along the entire curb on either
> side of our driveway which narrows from two cars
> wide at the driveway to a little over one car wide
> at the curb. If you park straight to the curb
> your car is at an angle and some mornings you can
> just barely squeeze between them.
>
> Too bad that using this tactic with your neighbors
> would make you seem like a total tool. We have
> gone the route of asking them politely and it has
> not been effective.

Are your neighbors asians and hispanics? my in-laws live in a cul de sac and it's exactly as you described. I've never seen such a mess of cars parked all over the place. everyone there is asian and spanish. it's a f'n zoo

Pay the ticket live and learn, Thanks for posting this I did not know about it either, Or the distance to a stop sign, the owner probably called and the laws the law with all the people now here they have to regulate everything

That is interesting - I did not know that rule. Ive lived in Fairfax for 12 years and almost all that time I have parked one of my cars within 10 feet of my own driveway. Never got a ticket. It seems like the distance should be more like 5 feet not 10.

If they had this law in Arlington there would be no parking at all...

It seems the home owner has to call for enforcement, the thread starter was a commuter so if its your own home dont worry about it, but the distance to a stop sign or fire hydrant will be enforced by police, see the posted link above in the thread for info.

Yes, you broke the law. Pay the ticket. You probably don't realize the homeowner has to curve to the left (possibly oncoming traffic) and swing around your car to get into their driveway. Beyond inconvienient.
Also, according to the law, commercial vehicles are not permitted (except one taxi per household) to be parked in residential neighborhoods overnight. The police will not enforce this law if there is not a sign stating this. This is going on in my neighborhood with two white commercial trucks. The police have been called and have sent out cruisers to check this out, but can't ticket these trucks. Whats the point of this law??

did the cop have a measuring tape? How would he know the exact distance.

cbuGt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> did the cop have a measuring tape? How would he
> know the exact distance.


Yes he may have had a measuring tape....or other device used for measuring distance.

Yes, they actually do measure.
This ticket and thread are from April, 2009.
I hope the ticket has been paid.
Bmkay has probably upgraded to a new Beemer long ago.

Not difficult to measure. Curb concrete sections in front of my house are 10' long. Probably most are. It's not that cops don't have anything better to do. The homeowner most likely called non-emergency and complained.

Measuring tapes are not hard to come by. I sure they use it to measure skid marks and other things. Who cares?!

Well, after reading the code, ANYONE can complain about a car parked within 10ft of the driveway. The police are responsible for equal enforcement of the law. Be a vigilante, grab your tape measure and go by on a Friday night or Saturday night and call in a complaint for every car parked within 10' of the driveway, the police will have to investigate. If kinda sucks when you live on a public street and not a private street. Anyone is allowed to park on a public street as long as they comply with any ordinances imposed.

Section 82-5-1. - Parking prohibited in Specified Places.

(a)
No person shall park a vehicle, except when necessary to avoid a conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic-control device, in any of the following places:
(1)
On a sidewalk;
(2)
In front of, or within ten feet to either side of, a public or private driveway;
(3)
In or within 20 feet of an intersection;
(4)
Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant located on private or public property or within a fire lane as defined in chapter 62 (Fire Protection), of the Code of the County of Fairfax;
(5)
In or within 20 feet of a crosswalk;
(6)
Repealed;
(7)
Within 30 feet upon the approach of any flashing beacon, stop sign or traffic-control signal located at the side of a roadway;
(8)
Between a safety zone and the adjacent curb or within 30 feet of points on the curb immediately opposite the ends of a safety zone, unless a different length is indicated by official signs or markings;
(9)
Within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad grade crossing;
(10)
Within 20 feet of the driveway entrance to any fire station and on the street opposite the entrance to any fire station within 75 feet of the entrance when properly signposted;
(11)
Alongside or opposite any street excavation or obstruction when such parking would obstruct traffic;
(12)
On the roadway side of any vehicle parked at the edge or curb of the street;
(13)
Upon any bridge or other elevated structure upon a street or highway or within a tunnel;
(14)
At any place where official signs prohibit parking;
(15)
Repealed; or
(16)
So as to prevent the use of curb ramps located on public property or on privately owned property open to the public.

Legal parker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You
> probably don't realize the homeowner has to curve
> to the left (possibly oncoming traffic) and swing
> around your car to get into their driveway. Beyond
> inconvienient.

It isn't only that, for the car to back out and drive in the direction of the left side of the pic, they have to 1) swing out into the road more, and 2) are likely facing visibility blockage.

If this driver had a driveway to park in regularly he'd understand. But he doesn't, so he doesn't realize he's being an asshole. The police are letting him know.

Legal parker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ...This is going on in my neighborhood with two white commercial
> trucks. The police have been called and have sent out cruisers
> to check this out, but can't ticket these trucks...

The trucks have to obviously be commercial, not simply white. If the truck (van) owners use removable commercial markings (like magnet placards) then they're (literally!) home safe if they park and remove the placards.

GFR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> cbuGt Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > did the cop have a measuring tape? How would he
> > know the exact distance.
>
>
> Yes he may have had a measuring tape....or other
> device used for measuring distance.

When you go to court make sure to ask if his tape measure was calibrated. I'm serious.

Olde Farte, II Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Legal parker Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ...This is going on in my neighborhood with two
> white commercial
> > trucks. The police have been called and have
> sent out cruisers
> > to check this out, but can't ticket these
> trucks...
>
> The trucks have to obviously be commercial, not
> simply white. If the truck (van) owners use
> removable commercial markings (like magnet
> placards) then they're (literally!) home safe if
> they park and remove the placards.


Not in Fairfax County. Commercial vehicles under the parking code sections are defined in County code. It has nothing to do with the markings of any kind. Fairfax City does have something in their city code about commercial markings on vehicles, County does not.

legal opinion Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GFR Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > cbuGt Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > did the cop have a measuring tape? How would
> he
> > > know the exact distance.
> >
> >
> > Yes he may have had a measuring tape....or
> other
> > device used for measuring distance.
>
> When you go to court make sure to ask if his tape
> measure was calibrated. I'm serious.


That would work for speeding ticket but you will just piss off the judge if you try that on a parking ticket. But hey, maybe you will catch a judge in a good mood. Good luck.

Sidewalk are divided into 4 foot sections and the nose of his car is about 6 inches short of the second section or 7.5", so the issuer is generall correct. Just make sure you are at least halway on the third section and you will be OK.

Rich Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sidewalk are divided into 4 foot sections and the
> nose of his car is about 6 inches short of the
> second section or 7.5", so the issuer is generall
> correct. Just make sure you are at least halway on
> the third section and you will be OK.

The picture doesn't support your statement.

Take it to Court and as a matter of fact bring the picture with you. It's obvious from the picture you were less than 10' feet from the driveway. How about parking your car somewhere else and not in my neighborhood. Parking is tough enough for my guests let alone dealing with commuters.

bmkay Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I know there's been trouble with cars parking on
> side streets around commuter lots, so let me say I
> can understand some of the frustration of the
> residents when people block their driveways or
> mailboxes. As a commuter, I've always tried to
> avoid blocking access to anyone's driveway or
> mail, but I was surprised when I recently received
> a ticket for an ordinance that I didn't even know
> existed.
> In the attached picture you can see I received a
> ticket for parking within 7' 4" of a driveway, in
> violation of a county ordinance for parking within
> 10' of a driveway. First, I've never heard of the
> ordinance (maybe that's my mistake), and secondly,
> I don't think anyone can reasonably say I was
> blocking the driveway. And for that matter, did
> the officer measure the distance from the driveway
> apron, or the asphalt?
> Take a look at the picture and judge for yourself.
> I don't think I'll take a day off work to argue a
> $40 ticket, but I have to wonder whether Fairfax
> police have anything better to do than measure the
> distance between people's bumpers and driveways.
> .

Do you still park they're? How many more tickets have you obtained?

Have learnde lessond?

It would appear that OP has not posted since October 2010. Probably moved back to New York.

Last June someone parked a BMW within 2 feet of my driveway apron. The car sat their all summer, so one Saturday in late August, I decided to call the police, because I was beginning to think that the car had been stolen and dumped there. I thought I was remiss in not reporting it sooner.

An officer came and checked it out and informed me that it belonged to someone who lived in the townhouses at the end of our street. Everything was just fine. That car sat there until November, never moved, never ticketed. But my husband's car was ticked for being parked too close to our driveway apron on the other side of the driveway, he was not quite 10 feet away.

I see selective prosecution here. They ran our license plates and knew we were the homeowners and that was our car, so we got a ticket. They know who they can get money out of and who the can't. Homeowners are just fatted hogs to be slaughtered. We get to pay, the illegals get off. Just my experience.

Yup, sadly that's the way it always is.

I got one of those tickets a few years back, too. Originally I thought it was for parking too far from the curb. I've been known to do that when coming home after having a few too many. But apparently it was because I was too close to the intersection and the trash truck driver was butthurt that he actually had to take his time rounding the corner rather than just cavalierly blowing through the neighborhood.

Just this past weekend, another "mystery" car appeared in front of my next door neighbor's house. My Son and I both watched Sunday morning, as the white van pulled up, guys got out and changed the license plates on that car. Is that illegal?

When my kid worked at Lake Accotink, they would always find stolen cars diched on the road to Lake Accotink. It appears was a place to dump stolen cars.

White van, changing tags...you sure this wasn't a local contractor?

OldSage Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Last June someone parked a BMW within 2 feet of my
> driveway apron. The car sat their all summer, so
> one Saturday in late August, I decided to call the
> police, because I was beginning to think that the
> car had been stolen and dumped there. I thought I
> was remiss in not reporting it sooner.
>
> An officer came and checked it out and informed me
> that it belonged to someone who lived in the
> townhouses at the end of our street. Everything
> was just fine. That car sat there until November,
> never moved, never ticketed. But my husband's car
> was ticked for being parked too close to our
> driveway apron on the other side of the driveway,
> he was not quite 10 feet away.
>
> I see selective prosecution here. They ran our
> license plates and knew we were the homeowners and
> that was our car, so we got a ticket. They know
> who they can get money out of and who the can't.
> Homeowners are just fatted hogs to be slaughtered.
> We get to pay, the illegals get off. Just my
> experience.

Just have the BMW toed away. Call the towing company and tell them that someone broke down near your house.

TOTAL douche! Took a second to find all of the parking rules:

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/parking_restrictions.htm

Pay your fines, asshole, and STFU!

legal opinion Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GFR Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > cbuGt Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > did the cop have a measuring tape? How would
> he
> > > know the exact distance.
> >
> >
> > Yes he may have had a measuring tape....or
> other
> > device used for measuring distance.
>
> When you go to court make sure to ask if his tape
> measure was calibrated. I'm serious.


In Fairfax it is most likely a $10,000 GPS-enabled, tactical, precision milspec measurement instrument, with optional laser positioning, high-def thermal imaging and satellite uplink.

Purchased with a homeland security grant, no doubt.

bmkay Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Howie Feltersnatch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Whoah! You mean someone driving a BMW parked
> like
> > an asshole?? Who would have figured?
>
> Ah, don't be jealous of my paid-off beemer; I
> won't think less of you for driving your rice
> burner with the tincan noise-enhancement muffler.


.... and "Puerto Rican package" available from any AutoZone in America.

and then they came for me.

They been ticketing cars in my neighborhood that parallel park backwards.

I always figured it was stupid and dangerous to park facing oncoming cars but never knew you could get a ticket for it.

Martin Niemöller Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> and then they came for me.

+1

are the tickets placed on windshield

Thanks for bumping. This was a good thread, it didn't have Lizzie, Megan, or that overweight artistic pedophile.

> I know there's been trouble with cars parking on side streets around commuter lots, so let me say I can understand some of the frustration of the residents when people block their driveways or mailboxes.

while it's legal for city cops to troll for parking tickets,

in (non-city parts) most of Virginia it's completely ILLEGAL FOR COPS to troll neighborhoods looking for citations - such as "distance to curb"

the citation above is a fake

distance to curb is enforceable on city streens, not in private neighborhoods

(WITH EXCEPTION THE CAR PARKER IS NOT THE OWNER, AND WAS TOLD BY THE OWNER TO BACK OFF)

The above poster is misinformed.

95% of all streets and roads in Fairfax County are public VDOT-owned streets, and the local (county & city) and state police have full rights to issue a citation whenever they see a violation -- whether on patrol or in response to when they receive a call for service.

Streets inside a townhouse development, or a large condo or apartment development, may be privately owned.

stewie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They been ticketing cars in my neighborhood that
> parallel park backwards.
>
> I always figured it was stupid and dangerous to
> park facing oncoming cars but never knew you could
> get a ticket for it.

1st ticket I ever got at age 17 'parking in wrong direction' I dont recall it being on any of the material we covered in the driver's exam. Life's a bitch then you elect Trump

Since the ordinance says the driveway owner must call for this type of ticket to be issued, at least the original poster knows which house to vandalize in the middle of the night.

This makes 100% absolute sense. I'm not saying this driveway law should be ignored but apparently it's okay to fly down a residential street and hit 2 parked cars, totaling one of them, and not getting ticketed.

Some asshole stranger in another neighborhood called the cops on you. You know where they live. What exactly is the question?

That's a ridiculous law. Any cop writing a ticket for that should reassess why they joined the force