Not only is that $100 ticket mean-spirited, it is irrational and counter-productive and, in a sense of "community," a kind of betrayal. A betrayal of the idea that we all work together under trying conditions. The driver moved his car so that the odd-side could be plowed. The odd-side was plowed, and that should have been the end of the issue. For him to re-park his car in front of his home made complete sense. THE ONLY REASON for him not to be parked on the odd-side was to make the area clear for the snowplow. He did that. The snowplow came, plowed the area, and then moved on. Mission accomplished -- on both sides: the driver's and the snowplow's. The $100 ticket was what a robot would issue, without taking into account the fact that the situation had changed . . . for the better! Once again, policing has shown itself to be so riveted to 'regulations' that it can't think for itself. We have robots patrolling the streets now, blind to the human dimension of life.

This issue was recategorized from Parking Violation/Abandoned Auto to Other - city responsibility.

There is technically still a parking ban. It expires tonight - Wednesday- at midnight. I don't know about you, but my street gets plowed a few times. Plows will do a few passes to push the snow to the curb over the course of a few hours. Was it a bad call by the meter maid, maybe. Was the meter maid in the wrong, technically no. If you can prove it, fight the ticket because they singled out your car. Its a loosing battle to try to fight it because you ignored the active parking ban.

You can't put your car back on the odd side until after the ban expires. Doesn't matter if the plow already went by.

But that doesn't make sense. The ban isn't in place just to have a ban in place. The ban is there to keep cars from getting in the way of the snowplow. But the person's car was NOT in the way of the snowplow. He had moved his car so the snowplow could plow the snow -- which it did. The street was clear at that point. The purpose of the ban had been fulfilled. The car had been moved. The snowplow pushed the snow to the curb. And the street was now clear. There was no longer a need for the ban on that side of the street. The ban should not be the point. The point should be to clear the street -- which the street now was. Let's try to keep our eyes on the ball, not on the ban.

This is completely nonsensical. That would mean that I can't park in front of my house for 40 hours after it was actually plowed to the curb, because the parking ban is until noon on Thursday. Does that mean that if we get 3 feet, as we did several years ago, and the cleanup takes a week, that no one can park on the odd side for a week, even if it has been cleaned?

And since the even side of the street is never cleaned, I would have to dig out a new space to park there AGAIN, now that I am back from work. Not even the chance of parking in a downtown lot, and then coming home on a nice 30 minute walk through crime-ridden New Haven when it is 10 degrees, because the less expensive parking ended 7 AM WEDNESDAY!

This system is completely half-assed, and doesn't work. Another reason why it is difficult to live in New Haven.

If you don't like living in New Haven, then you're free to depart. No one is forcing you under physical duress to stay. Quit making excuses for the fact that you got towed for not following simple instructions. True story!
There's no issue with the system. Move your car when instructed to do so. Simple. Other people were able to move their cars so that the city plows could do what they needed to do. Quit blaming the system and move your car next time. Blame yourself.

RFM

Please contest this. I share your outrage, and yes non-sensicical and mean-spirited. Do you know your Aldermanic rep? If not, perhaps reaching out to him her may help. Good luck.

In the end I got a robo-letter response from the sub-contrated service they use in the Midwest, simply stating that the ban was still in effect. No mention of any of the evidence I included, or my explanation.
Disappointing that the system was not able to address a more complex situation with a reasoned response, but I am not surprised. If anyone has been following the whole drama of the winter on this website, there were many many many examples of cars not ticketed or towed that obstructed plowing, so ticketing my car (which I DID move during the ban), because I moved it back AFTER the odd side was plowed to the curb, was, I insist, just blind adherence to a rule. (No unconstructive or nasty responses needed, please. They won't help me, and certainly won't add much to the poster's life.)

I tip my hat to you for trying to have a reasonable discussion with unreasonable parking police. We live in an increasingly inflexible society, in which reason is considered a sign of weakness, and blind adherence to rules is considered patriotic. A look at history shows where this kind of attitude leads.