Orin reports Seattle is enacting a $38 fine for moving a parked scooter. Not much of a deterrent, but when local governments are even acknowledging such a problem, it’s good news. Orin should be printing up “park here for $38” stickers.
5 thoughts on “Seattle: $38 fine for scooter-moving”
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No one has moved my scooter yet. But, I make sure to always park it where there is plenty of parking. I am not one of those “rockstar” parkers either. I do wish sometimes I could park anywhere.
I have no idea how they will enforce the $38 fine there, I mean, who is going to catch them doing it? And what about the damage done to the scooter if its dropped or similar while moving it?
The problem is, in neighborhoods like Capitol Hill, parking is scarce and difficult. That’s why scooters got moved. Though it hasn’t happened to me personally, I know many people who’ve had their scooters moved and/or knocked over so someone else (a car driver, usually) could get the parking space.
The law says the cops have to catch the perp in the act, and considering how many folks in Seattle budget a couple hundred bucks a month for parking tickets, it really is more symbolic than effective. But it’s something.
If I was a seattleite, I’d be doing everything I could to publicize the law, though. It might be impractical, but it is a good deterrent, if people are aware of it.
maybe reword it a bit more vaguely, and make some stickers that say “Police will ticket and fine you if you move this scooter pursuant to code XXXX.XX” or whatever
IF you don’t say what the fine is, and don’t mention they need to be caught in the act, that would scare off anyone but an Audi TT driver, the King of Jags.
Seems to me that taking a strangers vehicle and moving it without permission, regardless of how far, would be THEFT and should be punishable as such.
I would hope a $38 ticket would be the last thing they’d be worried about if caught by the scooter owner instead of a cop.
If it takes an officer to catch you in the act, the law is fairly pointless. For better or worse, there is very low police presence in Seattle. The rampant petty crime is just another reason it’s a bit of a dump. The whole place is kinda like that dumpy house on the block that was once nice but the owners just let it go downhill, parked a broken down car out front, stopped mowing their lawn and let their 14 year old son run wild around the neighborhood with a BB gun shooting windows and streetlights and breaking into garages. It’ll be a real tragedy when the Alaska Way Viaduct falls down.