F-You City of Boston

I'm sure I'm not breaking new ground by saying that the city of Boston is horrible and the parking ticket situation is was out of control. After a particularly frustrating episode, I followed up with this letter:



Dear City of Boston Parking Violation Services,

I would just like to voice my opinion over what a horrible, frustrating, and infuriating experience it’s been dealing with the city of Boston and attempting to pay a parking ticket. I received a ticket on January 10th, 2010. I misread the signs but took responsibility of that and made attempts to pay the ticket. On the ticket it says you can pay by phone, online, OR by mailing the ticket in. I attempted to pay the ticket online AND by phone and on January 28th and was given the response: ticket number not on file. No further explanation was given on the website or on the phone and nowhere on the ticket is this issue addressed with instruction on how to proceed. I then, on February 11th, find I have been issued a late fee for not paying the ticket – the same ticket I was trying to pay all along.

I called a service representative and was greeted with hostility and attitude. I explained I was angry and happy to pay for the price of the ticket but not the late fee as I had been continuously attempting to pay the ticket. I was told by the representative that this “is not her problem”. I was given no explanations and simply told to schedule a hearing. She then hung up on me so I called back and asked to speak to her supervisor. She did not pass me off but again started arguing with me and telling me I should have mailed in payment and it’s “not her problem.” I told her that I was not aware payment needed to mailed in because no explanation was given to me about “ticket not on file” and what that meant. So then I asked, what does that mean? I was then told that a police office has to enter the ticket for it to be paid but often times they don’t get around to doing that quickly. I then verified with her that I was expected to pay the ticket in 21 days and penalized if I was late, however a police officer does not have any responsibility to enter the ticket in the system so that a payment can be made.

This is extremely frustrating. The process is unclear and it feels like it’s designed to trip you up so you acquire more fees. Then to accompany that, the office staff is extremely rude and hostile. After a long time on the phone, the staff member finally told me if I mailed in payment she would waive the late fee. I asked her if I could have some sort of written or other verification on this in case I had problems and she said no. I asked her for her name in case I had problems and she said 30, three-zero. After another short response she hung up again.

I’m sure it is no secret to you that citizens of Boston are consistently frustrated by how tickets are issued On top of that, the process to pay them and the people who support it are completely miserable. As a tax payer and a human, I feel as though I should be treated with common courtesy. I feel as though when I try to pay my tickets on time I should not be thrown for a loop and hit with late fees. Police officers should be expected to enter the tickets in the system so they are “on file” if we, as citizens, are expected to pay them and given the web and phone as methods of payment. Staff members in a government position should try and have a pleasant attitude or perhaps they should seek other employment that does not deal with other people. I do not expect anything to change or even for you to care, I just wanted you to know what a completely negative experience this was.


Go Screw.
HumansInCages
(okay that was not the signature)


Viva la revolution anyone? Let's take down city hall!