Received: from Q.CS.CMU.EDU by K.GP.CS.CMU.EDU; 25 Apr 88 18:46:26 EDT
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Date: Mon, 25 Apr 1988 12:58-EDT 
From: Ralph.Hyre@IUS3.IUS.CS.CMU.EDU
To: bovik@q
Subject: Broken parking meters (all notes smashed together)
Message-Id: <577990712/ralphw@IUS3.IUS.CS.CMU.EDU>

25-Apr-88 09:05    Ralph.Hyre@C7.IUS.CS.CMU.EDU bkn mtr -> tkt: guilty or not?
I parked at a broken meter on Frew street Friday, and was not really suprised 
when I got a ticket.  Apparently the notes put there by the previous occupant
and myself were blown off by the wind.

So, should I plead guilty or not guilty?  I did put money in the meter to
cover the amount of time I was parked there.  [6 quarters before noticing that
it was broken beyond the scope of the original note - which merely indicated
that it was a bad deal (~1 cent/minute rather than ~.3cents/minute)]

Does anyone have an experience with pleading not guilty for parking violations
in traffic court?  Seems like there could be an eightfold penalty, since you 
get $10+costs (probably $20-$30) if found guilty in court, vs $5 if paid today.
[Is this consitutional?]

Should I go out and videotape the broken meter inaction?  Does traffic
court care about 'evidence' or broken meters?

Thank you.  I'll post everything to bovik and summarize here.


					- Ralph

25-Apr-88 09:28    Ralph.Hyre                   Ticket progress
From: Ralph.Hyre@IUS3.IUS.CS.CMU.EDU
At the suggestion of my officemate, I called the mayor's service center and
explained about the broken meter, which pointed me traffic court, which
redirected me to enforcment, and apparently there is a way out of this which
involves the enforcement office sending a letter to you, which  you send back
in with your ticket.  Presumably they send out somebody to verify that the
meter is broken (and hopefully fix it).

					- Ralph

DISCLAIMER: This is not legal advice - I am not a lawyer, this is not
tax advice either.  Sorry.
Date: Mon, 25 Apr 1988 15:46-EDT 
From: Bernadette.Kowalski@F.GP.CS.CMU.EDU
To: Ralph.Hyre@C7.IUS.CS.CMU.EDU 
Subject: Re: bkn mtr -> tkt: guilty or not?

I don't know exactly how this works, but here is the information
someone gave me one time:

If you find a broken meter, call 255-2585, and report it.  (You need to
be able to give them the number of the meter ...  they're usually
marked with some i.d. number or other.)  Then, if you get a ticket, you
tell them, and they take care of it.  You may have to pay the ticket,
and then perhaps they reimburse you.  I'm not sure.  My suggestion is
that you call that number, and see what they say.

					-- Bern


To: Ralph.Hyre@cs.cmu.edu
Subject: My experience with a broken meter
Date: Mon, 25 Apr 88 13:42:48 EDT
From: Eric.Thayer@F.WORD.CS.CMU.EDU

Ralph,

I was successful in pleading not guilty because of a broken meter.
I did the following things however:

	I called the number for reporting broken meters
		(I think I called the information number for
		the Public Works Dept. (255-2790) to find out which number
		is for reporting broken meters)

	Reported the meter number which was broken before I got
	the ticket.

	Plead not guilty on the ticket and sent in a letter saying
	that I had reported meter CU-69 broken at such and such a time.

I don't know exactly what they will do in your case, but this should work
for future reference.

					...eric

Date: Mon, 25 Apr 88 15:18:01 EDT
From: Mark.Perlin@CAD.CS.CMU.EDU
To: hyre@IUS3.IUS.CS.CMU.EDU
Subject: ticket

Ralph,

I had the same experience two months ago.  I sent an irate letter to
the parking folks downtown, and explained what had happened and why 
I wasn't going to pay the fine.  While my car may end up booted one day, 
they haven't replied to date.

- Mark