Dear Urban Diplomat: should I call the cops on my neighbour, the parking-permit cheat?
Dear Urban Diplomat,
Two doors down from our semi, there’s an older—but able-bodied!—man who runs a contracting business with his two able-bodied adult sons. Their vehicles all have accessibility parking permits, which allow them to park on either side of the street, regardless of which side is “on” that month. I suspect pass-related fraud. Should I tell someone?
—Parking Narc, Bloorcourt
A family of disabled contractors does indeed sound suspect, but can you be sure they’re breaking the rules? According to the permit office, certain lung and heart conditions, invisible to the casual observer, qualify people for the parking pass. Ultimately, you just don’t know. If you must do something, call parking enforcement, which investigates roughly 2,000 such cases each year. In 2014, they nabbed 600 offenders, who were charged under the Highway Traffic Act and fined anywhere from $300 to $5,000. No, enforcement won’t reveal their tipster, even if asked. Should that approach fail, look on the bright side of their sleazebag scam: technically, they’re creating more parking for you by using the other side of the street.
Send your questions to the Urban Diplomat at urbandiplomat@torontolife.com
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Dear Urban Diplomat,
Two doors down from our semi, there’s an older—but able-bodied!—man who runs a contracting business with his two able-bodied adult sons. Their vehicles all have accessibility parking permits, which allow them to park on either side of the street, regardless of which side is “on” that month. I suspect pass-related fraud. Should I tell someone?
—Parking Narc, Bloorcourt
A family of disabled contractors does indeed sound suspect, but can you be sure they’re breaking the rules? According to the permit office, certain lung and heart conditions, invisible to the casual observer, qualify people for the parking pass. Ultimately, you just don’t know. If you must do something, call parking enforcement, which investigates roughly 2,000 such cases each year. In 2014, they nabbed 600 offenders, who were charged under the Highway Traffic Act and fined anywhere from $300 to $5,000. No, enforcement won’t reveal their tipster, even if asked. Should that approach fail, look on the bright side of their sleazebag scam: technically, they’re creating more parking for you by using the other side of the street.
Send your questions to the Urban Diplomat at urbandiplomat@torontolife.com
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Parking enforcement will actually stake out the vehicle if you call in a complaint. They take it pretty seriously.
You won’t believe how many handicap people drive black Mercedes on the Danforth.
Check the dates on the blue card on the dashboard, as well. They have to be renewed every 5 years. They will look the same, except for the date.
EVERY FIVE YEAR – is that correct? I thought most of them were temporary; understanding that born-with, or permanent disabilities were recognized. But if that is the case that needs to be changed – they should be renewed every two – five MONTHS not every five years. Hey if needing an accessibility parking permit (is that the correct – politically correct name for it?) is really required as a temporary measure it should not be easy to get, it should require a rigorous process such that it would prompt cheats to forget about trying to obtain it with the intent of abusing it. And I am not addressing here those with a genuine – born-with, permanent need – I am speaking of the temporary ones which are just that temporary.
…or all the roads in and around Yorkville – have a look on Cumberland, Belair, Yorkville Ave. if you really wish to see the abuse.