Got a $200 parking ticket in Virginia City

[Quixote1818]

Drove into town and there wasn't any parking that I could see. Went two streets over from the main drag and saw an open spot and pulled in. Nothing about no parking. I come back an hour later and almost all the cars on the street had tickets. This was not a busy road. Eventually I realized all the cars that had tickets were facing against the flow of traffic so that must have been the issue. On the street I live on tonight I counted 4 cars parked facing the wrong way. This is something I've never seen enforced much less the fee be $200. Talking to my friend who lives there, and he said parking tickets had only been like $20, and the $200 fee was just voted in. The town was filled with "Lets Go Brandon" signs even on two of the businesses. Needless to say, I won't ever be going back there, even with friends in the area, so in the long run that $200 ticket will end up losing the town more than $200. I highly recommend you avoid this city of Trump loving grifters.

Was just remembering that when we got into Reno I had noticed all kinds of cars parked the wrong way on my Grandparents street. Just looked at Google street view and sure enough it was the same way when the Google car came though:

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.5216529,-119.8260635,3a,75y,154.72h,68.59t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sV6A4t6IJH-WYxjtoPRv8fw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

[viva la]

1. Terrible!

I didn't know that was illegal. I'm sorry. Glad you're letting them stew in their own bitter juices.

[BigmanPigman]

2. Another place you couldn't pay me visit, let alone live in

for any period of time. These stories are becoming too common place. I hung a flag outside my apt tonight and it pissed me off that some people use it as an excuse for being mean, greedy hypocrites.

[bottomofthehill]

3. I don't know about the 200 dollar fine, maybe excessive but

In order to park on the wrong side of the street, you have to drive on the wrong side of rhe street and when you return to leave you also have to drive on the wrong side of the street.

[3Hotdogs]

4. Not necessarily. Several streets in my town, Maplewood, N.j., have signs, "No parking on this side

of the street. "

If that is the case, and there were no visible signage, it is a 4th. Amend. Due Process violation.

[we can do it]

7. This makes zero sense.

[3Hotdogs]

9. I'll try again. NYC as an example. Two way streets, with alternate side of the street parking.

Street cleaning. --- M.W.F. Do not park on the south side of the "west/streets."

T.T.S. No parking on the north side of those streets.

BUT ---

A person, on a Monday, could drive east, not see the signs and park.... WITHOUT driving on the wrong side of the street.

[IbogaProject]

18. NYC's trick is you have to find a sign on both sides of your car

You have to go up and down to the block to see if there are any other signs, and temporary "no standing" signs take precedent. Hoboken got me recently I was at a corner of a T intersection, on the side away from the cross street. The parking sign was just above, I paid up. I come back and see a ticket, WTH? In NJ you can't park within 25 feet of an intersection regardless of any signs. Then they have a horrible dispute process, first you have to make an appointment to come and see a parking administrator and get something from them. Then schedule your defense and come back that other day to make your case 'in person'. So it comes down to $50 or two days of work. Oh well I'm never driving to Hoboken ever again. NYC gets a bad rep but the rules are clear and you only get in trouble if you violate a posted sign. The only catch is those temporary signage.

[bottomofthehill]

8. Yes, so you drive around the block

Get on the correct side of the street to park so you do not drive on the wrong side of the street. Your vehicle should be parked with the flow of traffic no matter how much traffic the street gets. I can not imagine anyplace in the country that condones driving in the wrong side of rhe street.

[3Hotdogs]

10. See my post, above.

[bottomofthehill]

12. Your post above does not accurately reflect NJ Law.

Which states that parking “ heading in the direction of the traffic”

Even in the one way streets example is states “ parking in the direction of the traffic. You have to drive on the wrong side or the road to park against traffic. I am not a constitutional law lawyer, but I am pretty sure that illegally driving on the wrong side of the street so you don’t see a sign does not grant you 4 amendment protections.


Universal Citation: NJ Rev Stat § 39:4-135 (2013)

39:4-135. Parking; direction and side of street; angle parking; one-way street
The operator of a vehicle shall not stop, stand or park the vehicle in a roadway other than parallel with the edge of the roadway headed in the direction of traffic, on the right-hand side of the road and with the curb side of the vehicle within six inches of the edge of the roadway, except as follows:

a. Upon those streets which have been designated by ordinance and have been marked or signed for angle parking, vehicles shall be parked at the angle to the curb designated and indicated by the ordinance and marks or signs.

b. Upon one-way streets, local authorities may permit parking of vehicles parallel with the left-hand edge of the roadway headed in the direction of traffic, on the left-hand side of the road and with the curb side of the vehicle within six inches of the edge of the roadway.

Amended by L.1951, c. 23, p. 99, s. 75.

[Hestia]

19. You'd be amazed then to go to other cities and find that they allowing parking willy-nilly

I'd never thought about it until I live in Cleveland, OH and they have only one side of the street parking. It was so nice to be able to drive up the street without having to dodge cars back and forth. In Dallas, except for the 50+ aged houses/neighborhoods, you park in the back driveway or alley behind your house and no on street parking at all.

The town where I live now does allow willy-nilly parking and it is nerve wracking and dangerous.

[we can do it]

6. You are correct.

[Quixote1818]

15. I agree I deserved a ticket but this seemed like a racket. It's a busy tourist town

They know people rarely get tickets for parking the wrong way and they were handing them out like candy. The lady on the phone even admitted she was dealing with a lot of upset people after they changed the fine from $20 to $200. But I agree, I screwed up and will never do that again. LOL

[bottomofthehill]

16. The ticket is steep.

Two hundred dollar tickets are usually reserved for parking in an ADA Space or blocking a ADA ramp where I live. I can’t think of anything else that would be a 200 dollar parking ticket. Maybe fire hydrant

[Blues Heron]

5. Park normally and you wont get ticketed

There is a reason the practice is frowned upon. Its not very difficult to do a U turn.

[3Hotdogs]

11. Not necessarily.... If there is no signage, or signs are vandalized or removed and now in

some kid's bedroom,....


I won a parking summons because the sign was so rusted as to be illegible.

Cop: "Judge, the town doesn't have the money to replace all signs at once."

Me:' Your Honor, If I get a ticket for no headlight and I tell you my wife won't put enough money in my allowance to buy anew light, would you accept that as an excuse?"


Judge: I will look at the sign. If you don't hear from the court by Friday, consider the charge to be dismissed."

That really happened.

[Blues Heron]

13. you dont need a sign to park the right way

these people know better, they just cant be bothered to turn the car around so it is facing the right way. Its really disconcerting to drive in one of those neighborhoods where they park like that and see all cars facing you like your driving the wrong way down a one way street. all because of a sense of entitlement.

[Quixote1818]

14. I guarantee you I won't ever park on the wrong side of the road again. LOL

It's just not something I have ever seen enforced and usually parking tickets are like $15 to $20. $200 is very excessive.

[Blues Heron]

17. That is a sticker shock of a ticket no doubt

It does seem a tad out of proportion!