New Lodo 'Overnight Parking Allowed' Stickers on Meters are Deceiving

OFFICER: Ortega

LOCATION: 1901 Blake

DATE: 4-28-2011

VIOLATION DESCRIPTION: Flashing Expired; Red (NPV)

New stickers facing the street on meter are deceptive and cause confusion.  They read: 'Overnight Parking Allowed' without a mention of payment.  They should say 'Metered Overnight Parking.'  Reading the adjacent sign would draw the same conclusion.  Upon exiting your car you visually check both signs and the parking after 10pm appears to be permitted.  However, the sticker on the OTHER side of the meter (facing away from the street) has in much smaller writing below it the IMPORTANT PAYMENT TERMS that are so cleverly not on the street facing side of the meter.  If this sticker and info had been provided on BOTH sides, there would be no confusion and no ticket.  I have no problem paying a metered spot.  I spent a couple minutes trying to figure out the legitimacy of parking past 10pm and due to the sign and sticker facing the street, I never read the small print on the other side.  The sticker and print should be the same on both sides and should read 'Metered Overnight Parking.'  Everyone on the block received tickets and were and are being deceived in the same way.  The signs are confusing and deliberately deceiving.  I've attached a photograph.  Deceptive downtown ticketing prevents people from coming back to spend money.  Hopefully this can be addressed.

*NOTE:  I politely approached Officer Ortega pointing out the discrepancies on the stickers from the street-side sticker and sidewalk sticker.  Her response was to rudely say, 'You should read the signs and pay your meter.'  I wish all the signs would SAY THE SAME THING!

Here is the street facing side of the meter.  It should read 'Metered Overnight Parking' instead of 'Overnight Parking Allowed.'  Even saying 'Overnight Park Available' would at least force people to read the fine lines of the other side.

Here is the parking sign next to the meter which states no parking only on Tue and Thurs from 2am-6am creating a false understanding that overnight parking must be after 2AM.

Here is the sidewalk-facing side of the meter.  It still is in very small writing but this sticker should at least be the same as the stree-facing side to at least give people a chance to properly understand the use of 'Allowed.'