EDMONTON – Some lucky motorists received a break Wednesday afternoon, when City of Edmonton parking enforcement officers handed out warnings rather than tickets.
“During the holiday season, we’re a bit more lenient on some of our non-safety parking violations,” said Erin Blaine with the City of Edmonton’s Parking Enforcement Services.
As a way of saying ‘Happy Holidays,’ officers gave a few hundred Edmonton motorists a notice saying: “The holidays are known as a time of giving. So we are giving you a break on this parking violation.”
Instead of paying the $50 ticket, violators are encouraged to pay it forward by donating the amount of money they would have paid in fines to the charity of their choice.
“Maybe just bring food down to the Food Bank, or drop a toy off at Santas Anonymous, or whatever may be your pay-it-forward method. But, (it’s) time to give,” Blaine said. “We don’t like to give tickets all the time. And it’s just really nice, for us too, to feel that we’re giving back, we’re giving people a chance. We want to give that little bit of holiday gesture out.”
Get breaking National news
The ‘Holiday Notice Program’ is new this year. It started Tuesday and will run up until Christmas Day.
“I think it’s wonderful. Nobody wants a parking ticket at Christmas, and so it’s a little way to spread some cheer and hopefully they can pass on the charity to somebody else,” said Trina, an Edmontonian who was parked downtown Wednesday evening.
Trina just hopes the goodwill gesture doesn’t get abused.
“A few people will take advantage of the situation. But I hope more people put it towards good than take advantage of it.”
The city will still be handing out tickets, especially if the violation is a matter of safety. The warnings will only be given to those who are not in violation of any safety bylaws, but Blaine wouldn’t divulge any specific details.
“Just park legally and you’ll be okay,” she said with a smile.
Parking enforcement officers usually hand out about 700 parking tickets in Edmonton on any given day. For the course of this program, though, Blaine anticipates about 300 of those daily tickets will be warnings.
Reblogged this on Imarashed.