Winter can make it hard for people to get around, but especially if you are 79 years old and trying to put money in a parking meter blocked by a big snowbank.
That's what happened to a North Bay senior this week.
Apparently city parking bylaw officers aren't taking winter conditions into account when handing out tickets.
Rob Morton got a ticket, after trying to park on McIntyre St. W. and he's mad enough about it to write Mayor Al McDonald.
"I wanted to put my money in the meter but was met with a 3-foot high wall of snow which extended from Fraser Street to Cassels Street," wrote Morton.
"I chose not to take the chance of falling while climbing up and over the wall of snow and possibly breaking or tearing something in my body. As a seventy-nine-year-old person, I thought that wise. I already have enough aches and pains and I do not wish to be on the sidelines of life while I recover from any injuries I might suffer from what some might consider a foolhardy, dangerous and unnecessary activity."
Morton says he tried walking on the road avoiding cars coming down McIntyre Street to get to the meter via the plowed sidewalk, but the danger and distance seemed too risky.
"I decided to put my trust in fate and crossed the street where an open driveway provided safe access to the sidewalk."
When Morton returned to his car he found a parking ticket under the windshield wiper for “Parking at expired meter.”
"The City of North Bay has an obligation to make the payment of fees for services (parking in this case) convenient for its citizens," argues Morton. "A three-foot-high wall of snow is a barrier to payment that is not only inconvenient but downright dangerous."
Morton suggests to the mayor that when snowbanks prevent access to parking meters, then enforcement of parking regulations should be suspended until the meters can be easily and safely accessed by citizens.
"It would be nice if something could be done about suspending my ticket, but more significantly the health and safety of drivers (particularly those older and somewhat infirm) should be taken into account when it comes to enforcement," he writes to McDonald.
"Basically, if the meter is inaccessible from the road, there should be no ticket issued. This would be a good guideline to have in place for the enforcement people to follow. A snowbank higher than one foot would make the meter inaccessible. This snowbank is much higher."
Morton hoped for a timely reply, "since I have been given 7 days to pay the ticket without penalty."
BayToday reached out to the mayor for a response, and was told Morton was contacted last night and a directive was forwarded to the appropriate staff.
"Our policy is not to issue tickets when meters are obstructed or not easily accessible," wrote McDonald."This, of course, is not always clear-cut, especially during the winter months, and we rely on the judgment of our bylaw enforcement personnel. We have reviewed the photos that were taken as part of our process when the ticket was issued and it has since been cancelled. Bylaw enforcement has sent a notification of this to the complainant."
