Got a parking violation while charging Clarity on EV parking

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ClarityKu

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I am furious and confused!
I started charging my Clarity Hybrid Plug in Electric Vehicle at El Cerrito EV parking spot from 3:23 pm, and did some errands while charging it. I came back at 5:50 pm to pick it up, and guess what..I got a parking violation ticket! It said that it parked in EV parking at 15:44!

Is the police trying to be funny or luddite or no one knows if Clarity Plug in consider an EV too?

Anybody have this experienced?
Sorry, newbie here, how can I post a picture?
 
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I searched through the El Cerritos Municipal Code and couldn't find any regulations pertaining to EV parking spaces. You may have to make a phone call to City Hall for an interpretation. Do the police have a list of cars that qualify for EV parking? Is there a time-limit on EV parking spaces? Does the fact that your car is plugged in make any difference?

Please report back after you find the actual answer.
 
I’d guess that the presence of a tailpipe may have caused some confusion to an uninformed parking enforcement person. A quick call will probably get it all fixed.
 
insightman said:
I searched through the El Cerritos Municipal Code and couldn't find any regulations pertaining to EV parking spaces. You may have to make a phone call to City Hall for an interpretation. Do the police have a list of cars that qualify for EV parking? Is there a time-limit on EV parking spaces? Does the fact that your car is plugged in make any difference?

Please report back after you find the actual answer.
Click to expand...
I am planning to stop by tomorrow to clarify this mess. It just ridiculous though, I charge my car there several times in raging from 1 to almost 3 hrs, and never got a ticket.
It is in 4 hours EV limit spot. I got the parking violation while it was charging about 21 minutes after I left to do some errands,and came back to pick it up exactly at 2 hrs 29 minutes. My ChargePoint clocked out at 2 hrs 31 minutes (the green light turn off) , and HondaLink said 85% when I came to pickit up. Yes, I will update you tomorrow.
 
Boy, talk about a Clarity not gettin’ any lovin’!!!
I could understand it if you weren’t plugged in and the officer didn’t recognize it, but how can anyone possibly think it’s not an EV if it’s plugged in and the EVSE is running!?!
Unbelievable!
 
AlanSqB said:
I’d guess that the presence of a tailpipe may have caused some confusion to an uninformed parking enforcement person. A quick call will probably get it all fixed.
Click to expand...
You know it is not that easy to find Clarity tailpipe, right? I don't even know where the tailpipe is until you pointed out. Isn't it ridiculous that the police able to identify the tailpipe but failed to see the charging port sticking out at the time?
 
Our local grocery store has a free Chargepoint level 2 charger. The parking spots are marked for "EV drivers only". On the Chargepoint app, someone posted this comment "TO ALL THE IGNORANT HYBRID DRIVERS HOLDING UP EVs, PLEASE RESPECT THE SIGNS: "FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES ONLY". THANK YOU."

I can't tell whether PHEVs fall into ignorant or non-ignorant category for this commenter but I chose to give him the benefit of the doubt. I continue to park there and will no matter what he thinks.
 
As a LEAF driver, it always used to tick me off when I needed a plug and there was a Volt taking up the only space. Especially because they had such a small range. I guess now that I have a PHEV (which I swore I never would) I am more sympathetic, but I still try to only plug in when more plugs are available for others. Even then I usually indicate on PlugShare that I am willing to come move the car if someone needs the plug.

I don’t like to use gas, but I have the option, unlike the BEV folks.
 
AlanSqB said:
I’d guess that the presence of a tailpipe may have caused some confusion to an uninformed parking enforcement person. A quick call will probably get it all fixed.
Click to expand...

As already pointed out, Clarity tailpipe is actually pretty hard to find. It's recessed up, and about 1-feet from the tail end of the car. You literally have to have your head at least below the bottom of the car to see it. MUCH easier to see the PLUG-IN HYBRID sign just in front of the driver side door lol
 
ClarityKu said:
I am planning to stop by tomorrow to clarify this mess. It just ridiculous though, I charge my car there several times in raging from 1 to almost 3 hrs, and never got a ticket.
It is in 4 hours EV limit spot. I got the parking violation while it was charging about 21 minutes after I left to do some errands,and came back to pick it up exactly at 2 hrs 29 minutes. My ChargePoint clocked out at 2 hrs 31 minutes (the green light turn off) , and HondaLink said 85% when I came to pickit up. Yes, I will update you tomorrow.
Click to expand...

Hope you take notes! One thing I would like to know is if you have to be Actively charging to use those spots; not that this applies to your case here, but just curious.
 
So I went to the El Cerrito police station, and asked for the police name Cliatt officer ID#93. He is actually a police officer, not some underpay parking enforcement guy, and been around for more than 10 years. He gave me a ticket because I was charging (he said "parking") at the El Cerrito EV spot. The code ECM.C11.40.020: "Parking restricted to City of El Cerrito employees and visitors with official city business. All other vehicles are subject to citation and towing at owner expense".
He walked me to the signs board on the both entrance and exits side. I argued that they should put the signage at the EV station itself! His response was please talk to the city planner.

I made a few cases against the officer/city:
1. He picked on me because there was a car charging before me, and she left without a ticket.
2. The city of EC is using the EV station as a cash cow during NON business hours.
3. Asking the police to reduce the citation to correctable offense.

So I made an appointment to speak with the city manager and would like to know his view.

Boy, it seems I have to pay $65!
Any legal/law experts here that could give me some advices?
 
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though perhaps an honest mistake, clearly u were in the wrong here. folks need to pay attention to posted signs, plain and simple. pay the ticket and move on.
 
It helps if you post some pics of the EV parking spot and signs. Might save someone else the same aggravation if nothing else. Is that charger on Plugshare? If so, you can post comments there too.

There might still be something they did not mention. For example, maybe an El Cerrito employee found your car when they tried to charge, and called the police. Or, some do gooder El Cerrito employee noticed that you were not doing city business and went shopping.

Generally, an argument that a prior "violator" did not get a ticket does not work, if you too are technically in violation, so I'd say no go on 1. Especially with signs, I'd say no go on 2 as well. Municipalities are certainly allowed to ticket and take income from tickets. You might make some progress with 3, either through the policeman (sounds less likely), or through some sort of local traffic court.

Does El Cerrito use municipal owned EVs or are there regular employees with EVs? Can you convince them to make it a public service to the general public to promote EVs. Odd guess, yes and no, but its worth a try.

Short of that, you need advice from a local "country" lawyer, and even at low rates, unless a friend or family member, that should eat the $65 pretty fast.

Is it this one? https://www.plugshare.com/location/18047 If so, that actually "looks" kinda public.
 
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sniwallof said:
Does El Cerrito use municipal owned EVs or are there regular employees with EVs? Can you convince them to make it a public service to the general public to promote EVs. Odd guess, yes and no, but its worth a try.

Short of that, you need advice from a local "country" lawyer, and even at low rates, unless a friend or family member, that should eat the $65 pretty fast.

Is it this one? https://www.plugshare.com/location/18047 If so, that actually "looks" kinda public.
Click to expand...

The question here is how did they install the charger. Did they receive any subsidies and if so was the charger destined for public access?
 
sniwallof said:
It helps if you post some pics of the EV parking spot and signs. Might save someone else the same aggravation if nothing else. Is that charger on Plugshare? If so, you can post comments there too.

There might still be something they did not mention. For example, maybe an El Cerrito employee found your car when they tried to charge, and called the police. Or, some do gooder El Cerrito employee noticed that you were not doing city business and went shopping.

Generally, an argument that a prior "violator" did not get a ticket does not work, if you too are technically in violation, so I'd say no go on 1. Especially with signs, I'd say no go on 2 as well. Municipalities are certainly allowed to ticket and take income from tickets. You might make some progress with 3, either through the policeman (sounds less likely), or through some sort of local traffic court.

Does El Cerrito use municipal owned EVs or are there regular employees with EVs? Can you convince them to make it a public service to the general public to promote EVs. Odd guess, yes and no, but its worth a try.

Short of that, you need advice from a local "country" lawyer, and even at low rates, unless a friend or family member, that should eat the $65 pretty fast.

Is it this one? https://www.plugshare.com/location/18047 If so, that actually "looks" kinda public.
Click to expand...

I went back again to take some pictures and find more signs. There is none except those 2 signage on the both entrance.
Yes, I alerted PlugShares as well as the ChargePoint app. I paid for the charging time (2 hr 31 minutes) for $3.13. Isn't it considered conducting a business? It is not free, and there is no sign to prohibit public to use it.

How can I post pictures? I'm using my cellphone at the moment.
Also at PlugShare it says Open 24/7hrs. Rate is set by the city of EC $1.25/hr.
Address 10890 San Pablo Ave. El Cerrito 94530 (City Hall).
 
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