No Parking, Yes Problem!

[wernicke]

I'm a pediatric home care nurse. One of my patients lives in a neighborhood where there was only one street that isn't permit-parking only. Well, *was*, past tense. Now that street is permit only; they notified everyone with a tiny, 14-16pt font plain-white-paper sign taped on a basketball court fence beneath a much larger ad for a job fair. Yes I got a ticket and yes I'm slightly miffed! Could probably successfully contest it (since it violates the requirement that the sign must be prominent enough for a reasonable person to notice it, and I've got pics. It's illegible unless one is within 1-2 feet of the sign) but it's not worth it for $40.

But that's not really what I'm most concerned about. There is now nowhere legal for me to park within a mile of this patient's home. I am 100% serious. Commercial lots are tow zones for non-customers, now every street requires residency permit, and some main streets have strictly enforced 1 hour parking limits that carry even heftier fines. The patient's landlord will not give me a visitor's permit.

This child is medically fragile and I'm with him for 7.5 hours per shift. I go to school with him, it's the only way he can be "mainstreamed", which is extremely appropriate for him especially since he is cognitively intact.

It is too expensive and impractical to always use Uber, and Public Transportation is also impractical. I need my car because I need my supplies.

This city does not issue permits to anyone aside from residents according to their website. Would it be worthwhile to give them a call? Don't want to say what city for privacy reasons but would be willing to answer that if it was needed.

Has anyone ever been in this situation? How did you resolve it?

[Jolie, BSN]

It sounds to me like neither the family nor agency are bothering to address a problem that is not yours.

I have worked NICU in a number of different cities and was responsible for planning discharges. That often involved setting up homecare, including equipment and staffing. I don't ever recall a situation where we were unable to make arrangements in advance for designated parking, coordination with EMS, and guarantee of utility service for families with medically fragile children.

If this isn't happening, I believe it is because someone isn't bothering to request it.

[Knotanoonurse]

Call a tv station. This would also impact elderly who have home care or healthcare visitors. This is a form of discrimination against people with caregivers. Parents seem like they should be speaking out for this child too!

[wernicke, BSN, RN]

Thank you all for your replies-the agency ultimately decided that they'd cover any parking tickets. I think the first person I spoke to on the phone was unfamiliar with policy. Still nuts how the agency has to write off tickets as a business expense-the city basically fines nurses for doing their jobs. Crummy infrastructure

[seaofclouds21, BSN, RN]

Thank you all for your replies-the agency ultimately decided that they'd cover any parking tickets. I think the first person I spoke to on the phone was unfamiliar with policy. Still nuts how the agency has to write off tickets as a business expense-the city basically fines nurses for doing their jobs. Crummy infrastructure

That's nice of them to cover your tickets, but what if it leads to other issues for your driver's license or your car being towed? Do these tickets give you points on your license? Will they pay the fee to get your car back? Will they stick by you if your driver's license gets suspended? Have you check with the board of nursing to see what their thoughts are on this? Will these repeated tickets cause any issues with your nursing license? There is a lot more to think about than just who will pay the cost of the ticket.

[Orion81RN]

Unfortunately, even if I get permission from the owner of the parking space, the landlord will still have my car towed. Visitors are SOL, he has made that clear. He's a real piece of work.

That is simply cold hearted, him KNOWING he is impeding healthcare for a medically fragile child. What a piece of work.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Thank you all for your replies-the agency ultimately decided that they'd cover any parking tickets. I think the first person I spoke to on the phone was unfamiliar with policy. Still nuts how the agency has to write off tickets as a business expense-the city basically fines nurses for doing their jobs. Crummy infrastructure

Ummmm, that is not a solution. You can find your license/ insurance affected or your vehicle towed or booted.

[NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN]

That is simply cold hearted, him KNOWING he is impeding healthcare for a medically fragile child. What a piece of work.

Maybe he should be the feature on the five o'clock news?

[purplegal]

Personally, unless I really, really enjoyed the case, I would probably resign from it. To risk getting a parking ticket every day because there are no legal options (not irresponsibility on your part) is ridiculous and expensive. It's great if they're willing to cover the parking tickets but like others have said, that's not a satisfactory solution since you're still at risk for other consequences. It's too bad it affects the care a child will receive though.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

That's nice of them to cover your tickets, but what if it leads to other issues for your driver's license or your car being towed? Do these tickets give you points on your license? Will they pay the fee to get your car back? Will they stick by you if your driver's license gets suspended? Have you check with the board of nursing to see what their thoughts are on this? Will these repeated tickets cause any issues with your nursing license? There is a lot more to think about than just who will pay the cost of the ticket.

I don't think parking tickets usually affect your insurance. I am also from New England, where the OP says she's from, so there's a 1/6 chance we live in the same state. I know in my state, if you don't pay a parking ticket, they will send you one late warning with a late fee. After that, they report the parking ticket to the RMV and all that happens is that you can't renew your license or registration when it's time to renew unless you pay the tickets.

OP, historically, I did not have luck fighting parking tickets in the city of Boston when I was a visiting nurse. I didn't do private duty so I was typically in and out of patient's homes quickly. If it's street cleaning day, though, it doesn't matter how fast you are, you're getting a ticket. My employer didn't pay for any parking tickets I got but did once pay when my car was towed (not from the street but from a parking lot in an apartment complex, the management company cared not that there was a young adult with cancer living in their complex who needed a visiting nurse).

[wernicke, BSN, RN]

Ummmm, that is not a solution. You can find your license/ insurance affected or your vehicle towed or booted.

As of right now there's only been one ticket. In my state, I will not be towed or booted as long as I pay. Parking tickets do not go against me, they go against the vehicle, since the state officially has no way to know who was driving the car at the time. But there will be no lien or repo as long as I pay the tickets.

Only way I could get into real trouble would be if I left it parked in the same illegal place for three days, as the car would legally be considered abandoned at that point and the city would take possession of it.

If it becomes a chronic problem we will readdress it. For now, it's a one-off as most of the time I sorta get away with it I suppose.