Parking Tickets

By Barbara Fortin

Oh those dreaded parking tickets. You can see them flapping in the wind under your windshield wiper from a mile away. That bright orange or yellow ticket advertising to the world that you've been caught!

Fortunately for us, they have only minor punishments attached to them. The average ticket across the country is only $30. Plus, there are no serious repercussions to your driving record and no points sent to your insurance company.

Where not to park

Avoid parking in the following areas:

Within 15 feet on either side of a fire hydrant
Within 5 feet on either side of someone's driveway
In an expired meter parking space
In a handicapped zone, even if it's only for one minute
In the opposite direction of traffic

Note - In some cities, you can not park at the same parking meter more than once in a day.

Note - A vehicle with the engine running and a person in the driver's side seat is not considered to be parked.

Note - A vehicle standing in a zone with a person on the passenger side is considered to be parked.

Although parking tickets create only a small financial loss to you, it's still your money! Contrary to popular belief, you can contest your parking fine and not pay the ticket.