Here is one for you guys. The city put in a new street sign on our block. It is right in the middle of the block, and indicates that from that point to the corner, ALL OF A SUDDEN, there is a bus stop and no parking. Generous amount of space for a bus stop, right? Fine, I am all for public transport...I can accept the bus stop now taking up half of the block.

Well the probem is they didn't take down any of the other signs, which all point to this area as a typical 2 hour/permit parking area. Thus, creating the classic conflicting sign situation. Problem is unless you check the entire block, you would have no way of knowing you are now in a bust stop. A parker's worst nightmare! The grounds to issue a ticket, and the clearly winnable challenge. All adding up to a municipal court appearance!!

So I get two tickets there. I challenge the tickets. I go to court, bring my pictures, explain my case and have both tickets dismissed...in open court, on the record, in front of a judge.....the whole nine yards.

Alas, two weeks later I get two notices in the mail for a failure to appear for those two tickets! Its like I never took a day off and went to the JC municipal court! Its like it was all a horrific nightmare and I imagined sitting next to scary, smelly, cracked-out felons in municipal court! But no wait a second.....I remember...I DID go to that court, I have one less sick day available to me at work to prove it!

So when I call the court...wait on hold for 20 minutes and finally reach someone......guess what they tell me??? "You are going to have to appear again!"

Needless to say, that is not happening. My letter explaining this situation, and taking a good half hour of my time, is in the mail. I am now awaiting the JCPA response!