Ticketed for parking Roadster in alternative-fuel area

[KangarooAustralia]

I still think it's likely a case of a ticket writer who hates EVs. They're making a political statement. If the tickets were written by the same person, it needs to be escalated to a supervisor. First time, it's easy to see a mistake could be made. But twice, with a easy-to-see sign? No. They saw it. And they wrote a ticket anyway, knowing the driver would be inconvenienced.

I think you're giving the ticket writer too much credit for "thinking" much at all. I was booked outside my house when my car clearly displayed the Residents Permit Sticker in the windscreen right next to the registration sticker. Of course it was dismissed but a waste of my time to write to the local council along with photos of vehicle and permits. I think their job is so boring they just operate on auto pilot.

 

[Lloyd]

Sometimes it is worthwhile to go to court and plead not guilty. The ticket writer will be made to show up in court. If enough do this the court will pressure them to be more careful in their ticket writing. It costs the county writing the ticket about 10times or more the cost of the ticket to defend it!

 

[strider]

Here's what the (now deprecated) Cali sticker looks like:

I never installed mine so if I can find it I can scan it and send you a high-res version if you want to try and make a sticker or something like it.

 

[ChargeIt!]

Ticketed again. Even with an 8 1/2 X 11 sign indicating the car is electric. I feel like going and parking every day and contesting every ticket until they get pissed off enough to fix their @#$! :cursing: I need to find someone @ massport I can talk to ... sigh

Stake-out: Go back and hang out for a while ... bring your video camera (and maybe a camera-person to operate it). :wink:

 

[vfx]

Stake-out: Go back and hang out for a while ... bring your video camera (and maybe a camera-person to operate it). :wink:

A small camera in the car shooting time-lapse frames every 15 or 30 seconds would catch the ticket writer.

If brave you could even make a small sign saying they are on camera. (small so they have to come close to read it).

 

[cinergi]

Well this time I parked and plugged it in (to one of the two free chargepoint stations, thanks to Henry's adapter!) for a week and NO TICKET. I fully expected one but they disappointed :smile:

Tesla has no plans to mark the Model S as in EV in any way, so this will continue to be an issue. May try to find time to go to the RMV this week to pick up the Mass. EV plates.

 

[roblab]

Tesla has no plans to mark the Model S as in EV in any way, so this will continue to be an issue.

After asking my sister in law what she thought it meant to see things like "Flex Fuel", E85, EREV, EEV, HEV, etc. etc., all claiming some shade of green, I decided to get some nice chrome letters and spell it out on the bumper: ALL ELECTRIC - ALL THE TIME, so there's no question. Looks sharp, easily readable from behind, and no one has to wonder what XYZ-EV means, which is usually nothing.

 

[Tommy]

I've read the entire thread and it seems like it is up to the ticketing officer to determine what constitutes an "alternative fuel" vehicle or not. In other words, there is no requirement by the authorities to display a permit to notify them the vehicle is allowed to park in the designated spot. At least I didn't read any requirement in all these posts, did I miss the requirement?

That raises two questions: what criteria does a ticketing officer use to determine an "alternate fuels" vehicle and why isn't there a permit that can be obtained?

I have seen where CNG vehicles are labeled with a CNG decal would an ELECTRIC VEHICLE decal work?

 

[jerry33]

That raises two questions: what criteria does a ticketing officer use to determine an "alternate fuels" vehicle and why isn't there a permit that can be obtained?

That one is simple: Have they made their ticket quota yet that day? or perhaps: Are they on track to make their ticket quota for the day?

I have seen where CNG vehicles are labeled with a CNG decal would an ELECTRIC VEHICLE decal work?

It would if you could convince the city or state to issue one.

 

[W.Petefish]

A small camera in the car shooting time-lapse frames every 15 or 30 seconds would catch the ticket writer.

If brave you could even make a small sign saying they are on camera. (small so they have to come close to read it).

Think GoPro w/ the LEDs taped over.

 

[Ardie]

cinergi,

I think there is a disconnect in the mind of the ticket issuer, and does not recognize electricity as an "alternative fuel."
You can deal with this by one of the following ways:

Design and produce an official-looking sticker that announces the Roadster as an Alternative Fuel car. Stickers with holograms do wonders for the appearance of authenticity to bureaucrats. You know how weak minds are often dazzled by shiny objects.

-or-

Do battle with city hall to ensure that the wording of the laws clearly state that "alternative fuel" may mean methanol, hydrogen, LPG, CNG, propane, electricity, compressed air, tightly wound rubber bands, or whatever else is already out there.

WARNING: Fighting city hall can be done, but at a time table that is usually beyond an ordinary person's patience threshhold, and possibly lifetime.

-- Ardie

 

[Robert.Boston]

@Ardie: you made me laugh with your "shiny objects" line. MassPort, which runs the garage, recognizes hybrids as "alternative fuel" (notwithstanding the fact that all their power is from gasoline), so I don't think it's a definitional problems. It's just that we've got people who expect EVs to look boring.

 

[palmer_md]

Ticketed again. Even with an 8 1/2 X 11 sign indicating the car is electric. I feel like going and parking every day and contesting every ticket until they get pissed off enough to fix their @#$! :cursing: I need to find someone @ massport I can talk to ... sigh

Unbelieveable! You'd think they would know that any vehicle with

this logo is an EV. You should not have to put on any additional stickers, and anyone enforcing EV ticketing should know this. Tesla is lesson 1 in EV101 class for those who want to know about electric cars.

 

[KangarooAustralia]

Well this time I parked and plugged it in (to one of the two free chargepoint stations, thanks to Henry's adapter!) for a week and NO TICKET. I fully expected one but they disappointed :smile:
QUOTE]

From my memory of this thread, the only time you didn't get booked was when you were plugged in. Perhaps the Parking Officer thinks that if a car is not plugged in and charging, then it shouldn't be there.

 

[cinergi]

The times I got ticketed is when I was parked in an area without chargers (but still labeled as alternative fuel locations). Figured going to a spot with a charger and plugging in would put it to rest.

 

[KangarooAustralia]

Oh! Well, I guess the Parking Officer is just too stupid or too lazy to bother educating him/herself in what constitutes an Alternative Fuel Vehicle. :frown:

 

[jordanthompson]

Saw this at the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida a few weeks ago... The driver told me she was told to park there by a museum employee

 

[Robert.Boston]

I recommend that you send the picture and your story to the museum management. This is a question of training the museum staff properly -- the museum laid out the money to install that charger, presumably with the intention of attracting EVs.

 

[cinergi]

Now that I have EV plates, I'll report what happens next time I park there. I may be going to cali this coming weekend, so I may find out soon!
I thoroughly expect a ticket. Which will allow me to have a GREAT conversation with someone at massport :smile: