As Memorial Day beach traffic increases, one city is changing the way it handles parking tickets and drivers are worried.
Galveston, Texas, an island off the coast of Houston, is a popular vacation spot with long beaches, several amusement parks, and other attractions.
Like any other city, this beach vacation spot has its own set of parking rules.
In some common parking lots for bathers, from 10am to 6pm, visitors must pay to park.
The fine for not purchasing a spot is a $33 ticket, but for this city they are changing the delivery system.
Everyone fears seeing a parking ticket flapping in the wind on their vehicle’s windshield.
Read more about parking rules
Visitor Mesam Ahsan told local ABC News affiliate KTRK your feelings on the matter.
“If I get one, I won’t be too happy, but we pay for parking,” he explained.
But from June 8, visitors to Gavelston can rest assured that no fines will be found on their windscreens because they will be approaching parking violators in a new way.
The city plans to mail its parking tickets via USPS rather than leaving them in visitors’ cars.
Instead of two weeks, anyone who is fined will also have three weeks to respond to the fine, in order to make up for any delay in mail delivery.
To begin with, only the Seawall area of Gavelston will use this method of ticket delivery, with other areas still using the more traditional windshield method.
“For now, the plan is just for the Seawall,” Galveston spokeswoman Marissa Barnett said of the new implementation.
“Of course, I think, it’s always an open discussion if it seems to be very successful.”
Barnett also gave some insight into why the rules changed.
“This reduces interactions between those who receive a parking ticket and law enforcement,” Barnett said.
AD CONCERN ABOUT RACE
Some visitors are confused by the decision to use snail mail instead of a more technology-driven solution.
“Are they going to send us a ticket in the mail? I thought it would be online,” Ahsan said.
“I was going to say, ‘Oh, they’re saving paper,’ but I guess if they’re going to send it to us, that’s not good.”
Others, like Galveston resident Kyra Elliott, oppose the decision to fully utilize the mail, concerned about the plan’s effectiveness.
“I don’t think I would like that,” Elliott said.
If someone doesn’t respond to a ticket, it’s like saying, ‘Hey, I’m guilty.’ The court can order it as such and then it will have that legal effect on your records.”
Steve Shellist, local attorney
“What if it gets lost in the mail and you have more problems.”
Steve Shellist of the Shellist law firm in Housten shed more light on the possible repercussions of a note lost in the mail.
“If someone doesn’t respond to a ticket, it’s like saying, ‘Hey, I’m guilty.’ The court can order it as such and then it will have that legal effect on your records,” Shellist explained.
This means that if a ticket is lost and a person does not respond within the three week period, it could mean serious problems for the driver.
Some penalties can include anything from a tire boot to having a visitor’s vehicle towed.
“My advice is that you will have to pay to take the trunk out of your car,” Shellist said.
“So you’re going to have to go to court and try to find out what your rights are.”
Despite concerns from residents and visitors regarding this new policy, Barnett has stood firm and says there are plans to adjust if this pilot program needs tweaking.
“We know how many we write and we can see what the response rate is and if we need to adjust our plans,” Barnett said.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
