I live north of Toronto, and have the pleasure of being one of the many who commute to the city everyday for work. I spend one hour getting to work… on a good day.
Lately I’ve been noticing how unjust the parking/driving system in Toronto is.
This morning, I was given a ticket for turning right onto a street that had a “no right turning sign, 7-9am”. However, I was stuck behind a bus and accidentally turned one street early. The sign was obstructed. The policeman pulled me over and I didn’t even know why. I told him, but nothing could be done – for me, or the other cars lined up that had also turned at this corner.
Here, at this intersection, not one, but three cops, were waiting – rotating turns writing up tickets and stopping those who violated the sign.
I understand I did something illegal, yes I did not see the sign due to the bus blockage, but fine, it happened. However, I do not believe that three cops should be waiting at any intersection for a reason like this. These cops should be patrolling and protecting our city. Instead, they are waiting at signs that they know they will be able to catch violators at, in order to make money.
The police force is running a business on behalf of the government.
Two minutes after driving away from “the scene of the crime” I saw a man run a “very” red light. He did not get a ticket when he endangered the lives of everyone in the intersection, yet I got one for turning right at an intersection. Last week a man hit my rear bumper. Though no damage was done, where was a cop then? Where is the justice here. I do not see any. Perhaps someone else is able to help me see some. My tax money is going towards police who are meant to be protecting the city. Instead, they are hiding at signs they know they are able to make money on. Is this just another way to tax us?
Traffic control is one thing, paying police to keep watch to nab violators in order to make money – that’s another.
I made an honest mistake, to which the cop told me I could fight it if I wanted, and as a result I’m paying $110. Going towards what exactly?
Which brings me to parking tickets in Toronto…
There are parking by-laws set in Toronto, yet no signs are put up explaining these laws. Thus, on entering the city, you are supposed to know every rule and every regulation. Even if you are a foreigner to the city, you are expected to know everything.
Last week I received a 15 dollar parking ticket for parking on a street for more than three hours. I know, such a horrible thing I did. I affected SO many lives in the process.
These laws were put into place to ensure that Toronto can make an extra 2 million dollars a year on parking tickets alone. How about the salaries of all the “green hornet” parking enforcement officers who are paid to give out these tickets. Why not axe some of these officers so the city doesn’t need to make that much off of parking tickets.
Laws like these are made for making money, not for protecting the city. I want my hard earned money that goes towards taxes to be used towards something useful. Hire more police to protect against gun violence, drunk driving, other miscellaneous violence, etc.
It’s time someone realizes that these laws are corrupt. The city of Toronto is corrupt. The government that enforces these laws and put them into place is corrupt. Something needs to change.
For further information, I found an interesting article entitled “Parking enforcement as an industry“. Here, Joe Warmington states: “To get that $80-million, in 2009, 2,794,460 parking tickets were handed out. All it really is, is a sneaky tax on people with cars who already pay and pay and pay. In fact Torontonians pay two registration fees. Meanwhile, the city has about 2,500 Municipal Law Enforcement Officers set out to feed the tyrannical money monster. The only prompt city service you will ever receive for all the tax you pay is from these people.”
