Comments on: kiss ‘n’ violate

By: SP

SP — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:39:47 +0000

I received one this AM for $255 at the MacArthur BART for dropping off my spouse who is now unable to drive for medical reasons. Officer Wysack (Badge 244) was at my drivers side window yelling iat me to open the window before my spouse could even exit the vehicle. She rudely told me to park IN THE BUS ZONE while she instructed another officer to fill out the ticket. I explained that this was my first time dropping a passenger off here ever and it was not clear where to do it. I also suggested that a warning would be sufficient and that a $255 fine is quite unreasonable. Deaf ears. This is not only immoral but unsafe and detrimental to the goal of increasing public transit. I will drive my spouse to work now rather than risk this bus stop sting operation.

By: MG (new to Berkeley)

MG (new to Berkeley) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:41:23 +0000

I just got hit dropping off my wife in the morning at Rockridge. We couldn’t have been there for more than 15 seconds.

This is wrong. How do we organize to change this practice? Who has authority over AC Transit? It’s our county. We want it to be safe and we want traffic to run smoothly (and it’s much better than Boston, I admit!) Large fines delivered by surprise don’t help! Clear signage, as someone already pointed out, would help a lot more. Isn’t there a way to have someone somewhere direct AC Transit to do that? That seems very reasonable. Also, who sets the fine?

But golly, at $1000 for every four tickets they must have raised millions, literally.

By: JI

JI — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:12:38 +0000

I too received the infamous $250 ticket from a Alameda County Sheriff at West Oakland BART. At this station, there is an indented area between two bulb outs that serves as the bus zone (or so I thought). I am having difficulty locating info on exactly what constitutes the bus zone to know if my assumption is correct. I was definitely not within the indented area, but in the street. Cars were occupying all the other spots around the corner which is technically the passenger unloading zone. I am at the stage of having to request a hearing, because my review had been denied. What peeves me is the requirement to pay $250 before the hearing can be scheduled. I can understand holding the money until the hearing as a deposit but was told that they cash it immediately.

By: CW

CW — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:17:57 +0000

I recently receive a $250 ticket in the mail after dropping off a sick carpool partner at a bus zone. It was the only place to pull over. I do understand the letter of the law, also the spirit of the law. I appealed and lost, then requested a formal hearing along with the $250 payment. After I received a collection notice of $350, I called AC parking enforcement and the clerk said that my check an my request for a hearing was not received. She also said if the check ever surfaced, they would cash it but my request for a hearing is denied because it is out of the time frame. Appeal rights? I think not.

By: RC

RC — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 19:30:06 +0000

I have ridden on AC Transit buses and see people getting ticketed all the time. AC Transit bus riders waiting at the bus stops have actually warned people to move their cars and drivers do not listen.

Don’t stop next to red curbs or where signs say not stopping/no parking. The AC Transit bus stops that I have seen that are mentioned here (MacArthur BART/Coliseum BART, etc) are marked with red curbs or no stopping/parking signs. Read your DMV manual…red curb means no stopping. Most of you who stop are taking a chance and rolling your dice that you are not going to get caught.

I agree that the fine of $250 is way too much, but the deputy/officer does not determine the fine amount. AC Transit police officers are just doing their job, handling bus/bus zone related stuff. I am sure that AC Transit is aware of the amount of citations and complaints that are written. If they wanted more warnings given instead of tickets they would have let the Sheriff’s Office know.

By: JCM

JCM — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:36:46 +0000

I just received the 250.00 ticket…I am amazed and appalled! Where is the white zone to drop off and pick up people at the BART station?
I understand it is a 450.00 fine for double parking, which is your only other option. I have dropped off and picked up my 81 year old aunt several times….Please tell me exactly where you are supposed to let someone out to safely get to the entrance of the BART station?

By: HC

HC — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:17:06 +0000

An addendum to my previous post, the ticket officer’s name is Arbitter. He sure was bitter.

By: HC

HC — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:21:38 +0000

I was touring Oakland last week. I too got a ridiculous ticket for dropping my brother off at a bus stop. Being from NYC, the traffic/transit police is more rude than NYC – and that is saying a lot from a New Yorker. The ticket was issued to the rental car. I’ll let the rental car company deal with this. $250 is totally ridiculous.

By: Reedman

Reedman — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:41:22 +0000

The California state-allowed maximum for parking fines is $250, which is why AC Transit and San Francisco charge that amount for “parking in a bus zone”. San Francisco used to charge $500 for “misuse of a handicapped parking placard”, but the city attorney decided that was illegal (no refunds for people who paid $500). So, SF now fines $100 for the placard misuse. If you know someone with a handicap placard, borrow it, and use it at the blue curb, it might be a way to incur lower fines during a drop-off. Parking at a blue curb without a placard is allowed a heavier fine ($275-$307).

By: trishafisha

trishafisha — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:40:44 +0000

UPDATE from my commment dated April 23, 2008. I went to my “hearing” (a conversation in an office) and the guy more or less argued that ignorance of the law is no excuse, stopping for 5 seconds is stopping and therefore breaking the law, etc. Then he said he would “take it under advisement” and send me his decision in the mail. I left soooo angry that he couldn’t just tell me to my face that he was going to keep my money. Surprise, surprise, I got my money back about a month later!

My brother tells me he got one of these tickets (on piedmont avenue) and decided to ignore it. This was 3 or 4 years ago, and he has had no trouble registering his car or anything–His belief is that they don’t have jurisdiction, and can’t really follow through if you don’t pay. Take this advice at your own risk!