A Winnipeg man says he’s frustrated after his car busted in -40 weather, and got a ticket when he couldn’t get a tow truck for more than 12 hours.
When Shanker Singh’s car died Thursday morning, he tried to get it moved off the road.
“We pushed it off on the side to not block traffic, we did everything we could in our power to make sure the car wasn’t in the way,” he said.
“We left it there in unfortunately a zone that was no stopping, but the car was dead and I couldn’t push it home so there wasn’t much we could do.”
Singh spent the next 45 minutes trying to track down a tow truck.
“We called and we called and we called. Of course with the weather being what it was yesterday, it was just insane. Tow trucks weren’t coming, companies weren’t taking calls. I had to get CAA and they said it was a 12 hour wait,” he said.
Winnipeg dropped to -40 with the windchill on Thursday, according to Environment Canada, and Singh’s car wasn’t starting. He said he scribbled a note on his car saying it had stalled and waited for a tow.
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CAA finally arrived closer to 9 p.m. to take the vehicle to the mechanic, just beating a Tartan tow truck that was going to take Singh’s car, he said.
But when he arrived at the mechanic’s shop to look at his car, he was shocked to see the city had left him a ticket and almost towed him.
“They had given us a parking ticket for $52.50 and it was put right on the sign that said it can’t be moved. It’s not like we were being belligerent about it.”
The city says they couldn’t respond to the specific case but said “if a vehicle is abandoned or stalled in an area that could obstruct traffic or fire lanes, or pose safety issues, the vehicle would typically be ticketed and towed in compliance with the Winnipeg Parking By-law.”
Singh says he was just looking for a break but felt the city kicked him when he was down.
“I was shocked. I couldn’t believe that they would give a ticket where they would know it was someone who was down and out In that moment,” he said.
“They know the car was stalled and yet still they gave the ticket. I was appalled, sickening.”
Singh plans on fighting the ticket.
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