The Parking Patrol has a new Job
Just when we thought our parking troubles were over here in Deep Ellum with the meters being free till 6pm, we were soon to find out “the catch.” The parking patrol has a new job. Instead of checking for unpaid meters during the daytime hours, they are running your plates to see if you have any unpaid parking tickets!!! That’s right, you’ll get booted if you have any leftover, unpaid parking tickets…all for just parking at a meter.
I just wanted to give everyone the heads up. If you have any unpaid parking tickets, watch out for the “free” meters in Deep Ellum…you may end up getting your car booted, then end up with the major pain in the ass of having to figure out your way downtown without your car and having to pay your fines on fines, plus the booting fee. You might as well just go ahead and pay the 30 bucks now and save some of the troubles…but somehow I think this is all a bit strange. Is the parking patrol really allowed to run your licence if you are not breaking any laws…say if the meter is free, and you are legaly parked there?
This is a great point Mark. I am sorry to say that my misfortune uncovered this nugget of information. I have definitely recieved my fair share of parking tickets, in many cities, but I have never seen anything like this. Usually the boot comes out after a certain number of parking tickets. I believe that I had 3 which is usually not a magic number. I also found out that it doesn’t matter how many you have in Dallas, but rather how delinquent your ticket is. So you could have one unpaid ticket a get the boot according to the lady in the parking ticket office.
I guess the meter patrol operates the same way the cops do. When they get bored they start running plates and see if they can get some action… I wonder if the guy that booted my ride got any satisfaction out of it at all?
They have a pretty good online system for paying parking tickets. I’m much better about doing that than writing a check and mailing it.
https://wmq.etimspayments.com/pbw/include/dallas/input.jsp