$50 Vancouver parking ticket at Canada Place

[queen_kathy1]

As a warning to others, we had an awful ending to our cruise. We got a $50 parking ticket outside Canada Place after a brief stop to take a picture of the ship after we disembarked the Zuiderdam this past Saturday.

 

We had reserved an Avis rental car and at the suggestion of a Canada Place security guard, my husband went to pick up the car and drove it back to Canada Place into the P2 parking garage. Parking is free if the car is there for less than 20 minutes so this strategy allowed us (incl my parents) to take our time and easily load all our luggage into the car and avoid the crowds as we waited for my husband in the very uncrowded P2 lot. This was an excellent suggestion and worked well for us.

 

When we emerged from the parking garage, I had my husband pull the car over outside of Canada Place where we saw some cars parked alongside some tour buses so we thought it would be ok to stop there for just a minute. I wanted to take a quick picture of our cabin from the elevated Canada Place platform. I thought the worst case scenario would be that they would be told to move the car and I would have to walk a few blocks to meet back up with them. Instead, in the few minutes that I was gone, all of the cars were ticketed in quick order with no discussion or warning from the dismissive ticket writer. My parents and husband were in the vehicle at the time and the ticket writer couldn't care less.

 

Tickets can only be disputed in person and I've already returned to Toronto. I have no choice but to pay the ticket because otherwise they'll send the bill to Avis and I'm sure they'll add an additional hefty admin fee when they bill my credit card to cover the fine.

 

What an ugly cash grab from the city of Vancouver.

 

And I never got my picture - there is construction taking place at Canada Place pier and white tarps blocked the entire view from the upper viewing area.

[TCF]

I have printed off your post and will send it to the Mayor's office!

Parking is tight in the area around Canada Place...but when people are sitting in the car and have an explanation as to who they are and where the driver is, it seems to me that the By-Law Enforcement Officer should just give a warning and ticket people who have parked illegally and are nowhere around.

I intend to say just that in a cover letter to the Mayor.

We don't need the City giving our visitors a bad experience!

[Putterdude]

Good for you TCF, I have never heard of a ticket being issued when there are people in the car and would suggest that this is not the norm in Vancouver.

[quincytoo]

Good for you TCF, I have never heard of a ticket being issued when there are people in the car and would suggest that this is not the norm in Vancouver.

 

I was thinking the very same thing.....never ever have I been ticketed for such an thing...

 

Queen Kathy , I hope you get this revised and please come back to tell us that the charges were indeed reversed.

[queen_kathy1]

I agree that if there was no one in the car, fine serve the ticket. But even with 3 people in the car, the ticket writer just slapped the ticket under the windshield wiper, said "tour bus zone, no parking" and walked off. He would not stop to discuss with my husband, he was too busy leaving tickets on other people's windshields. It was the end of June - he must have had a quota to achieve? We have never had anything like this happen to us either.

 

I really appreciate your support everyone. I'm going to call the ticket office on Monday and see if someone there can help me. I'll keep you posted.

[Langley Cruisers]

...the ticket writer just slapped the ticket under the windshield wiper, said "tour bus zone, no parking" and walked off.

 

Were you able to get a picture of any signage indicating this? If there were signs saying "Tour Bus Parking Only", then I'm afraid you were illegally parked and deserved the ticket. The ticketing officer doesn't want to get into a dispute with a driver; they are already among the most hated people in the world I'm sure, next to tow-truck drivers and dentists. :p I absolutely don't blame him for not engaging you, but I'm also sorry to hear of your experience.

 

I hope you had a nice cruise. :)

[Urban trekker]

I checked the signage today when I was out for a bike ride - its restricted to tour buses only - the OP doesn't deny the fact that they were illegally parked but appears to be much more upset about the way the City of Vancouver traffic enforcement officers as they are correctly called seem to be waiting to pounce of people who stop to grab a picture - since there were people in the car and a driver in place it would make more sense to tell to move or be ticketed.

 

Having done some company parking lot enforcement talking to the ticket writer usually makes the situation worse.

 

Remember this is a city that is bemoaning the loss of cruise ships, a decrease in tourism, complaints about waits at the border and the Airport YET it still thinks tourists are a source of quick cash to pay for ideas like a new 45$ Million bike crossing of False Creek.

 

Once the hype of the Olympics is over and I support the Games 100% and if the world economy continues to under performed the love affair with Vancouver may falter fasten than some local politicians are prepared to admit.

 

Here's a link to the City of Vancouver web site showing the contact info for the Mayor and Councilors - Susan Anton is the lone opposition member.

 

http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/mayorcouncil/index.htm

 

Hope the rant isn't too strong - but these types of indiscrimate actions by public employees get me going.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Langley Cruisers]

I checked the signage today when I was out for a bike ride - its restricted to tour buses only... since there were people in the car and a driver in place it would make more sense to tell to move or be ticketed.

 

No, you're absolutely right and I do agree with you there. :) It was a blemish on what I'm sure was an otherwise nice vacation.

[queen_kathy1]

Today I spoke with Lorraine at Parking Enforcement. She made it clear that I only had two options, pay the ticket or fly to Vancouver to fight it.

 

The conversation with Lorraine has further soured my Vancouver experience as now not only am I potentially out $50, she made me feel like a criminal for not having heeded the signs we couldn't see. Since we were issued the ticket, it would make sense that signs are there, but we didn't see them - they were hidden behind the tour buses that were also parked there at the time we stopped. When I met back up with my family after failing to get the picture I had wanted, they had by that time moved the car a few blocks away. They were so upset from having gotten the ticket that we just wanted to get the heck out of there, so I didn't go back to look for any signs.

 

I have e-mailed the mayor to see if something can be done. Lorraine told me that the mayor will just send my letter back to her dept and I'd be back at square one with the two aforementioned options. I hope that's not the case. A better solution needs to exist for out-of-town tourists caught in such circumstances that cannot attend in person to dispute the fine.

[Sally Forth]

Today I spoke with Lorraine at Parking Enforcement. She made it clear that I only had two options, pay the ticket or fly to Vancouver to fight it.

 

The conversation with Lorraine has further soured my Vancouver experience as now not only am I potentially out $50, she made me feel like a criminal for not having heeded the signs we couldn't see. Since we were issued the ticket, it would make sense that signs are there, but we didn't see them - they were hidden behind the tour buses that were also parked there at the time we stopped. When I met back up with my family after failing to get the picture I had wanted, they had by that time moved the car a few blocks away. They were so upset from having gotten the ticket that we just wanted to get the heck out of there, so I didn't go back to look for any signs.

 

I have e-mailed the mayor to see if something can be done. Lorraine told me that the mayor will just send my letter back to her dept and I'd be back at square one with the two aforementioned options. I hope that's not the case. A better solution needs to exist for out-of-town tourists caught in such circumstances that cannot attend in person to dispute the fine.

 

Gee, Lorraine sounds like a real sourpuss. Nice person to represent the city.

 

If I were in your situation, I'd just pay it and wipe it out of my mind. I had my car window smashed and 407 transponder stolen around Front Street in Toronto last year, and just have to figure there are idiots everywhere.

 

Viv