Parking Rant

I take issue with parking in this city; more specifically, parking tickets.  I am the type of person who accumulates tickets over the year and then pays them all at once every December.  Yes, it adds up.  Because of my methods I have quickly come to realize a major issue in our parking enforcement in Hamilton. 

I live near St. Joseph’s Hospital in the Corktown area, and if you have ever parked around there you know very well that you will have a parking ticket if you are more than five minutes late back to your car.  The same goes for the area around McMaster University and Hospital, as well as around any major educational or medical centres in Hamilton.  I’m not writing to complain about the city’s efficiency in giving tickets in these areas but, rather, the absolute bias towards being so absolute in these areas, but the complete disregard of other relevant areas.

If you are not aware of the Locke St. Area, you should become so.  It is a beautiful street full of coffee shops, restaurants and high-end shops.  I am there between three and five times a week from one to four hours depending on the day.  The reason I am outlining my frequency and length of time on this street is because I need you to have an understanding of how much time in a given week my car sits on that street without having a paid parking pass in my window.  I have not paid for parking on that street since they put meters on it. I have not been ticketed.

While we are on the topic of streets that never get ticketed, let’s take a look at Ancaster.  If you are not familiar with Wilson Street, it is another lovely place to go and eat in a nice restaurant or shop in a very high-end store.  It is known for its wealthy inhabitants.  I challenge you to get a ticket in Ancaster; seriously, try it.

My issue here is that our city very diligently fines people who are trying to go to school or have an appointment that runs longer than expected at s hospital, among other reasons.  A few blocks away on a street that caters to leisure time, shopping and dining, there is not an enforcement officer in sight.  People who shop on Locke can afford the tickets; give them to us.  It’s not right to ticket so aggressively in certain areas and completely disregard others.