Description

I got a ticket today from American University for having parked on a city street which, according to the posted signs, was entirely legal. The back of the ticket reads, in part “In accordance with District of Columbia Zoning Order 949 and American University's Good Neighbor Policy, parking is restricted on the residential streets surrounding the main campus.” It would have been helpful to post this so that drivers could know not to park there. Instead, there is no signage whatsoever, and the only way one learns about the policy is to get the ticket first. I had to call A.U. to get the fine cancelled, “as a courtesy” they observed, but the whole exercise seems like a page out of Kafka: issue a proclamation, don't tell anyone about it, and collect the fine.