Town officials this month upheld a $150 ticket issued to a Norwalk resident who parked a truck in a disabled space on Elm Street.
The motorist, Alexander Gil, had received the ticket at 11:12 a.m. on Jan. 21 (a Friday). In an appeal letter sent to the Parking Commission, Gil said he parked with hazard lights on for about one minute while trying to make a delivery.
During a March 10 appeal hearing before the Commission, Gil’s supervisor at work—a man who identified himself only as ‘Diego’—said that it’s difficult to park a large truck in New Canaan and that there’s a lack of loading zones.
Yet the parking enforcement officer who ticketed Gil had included a note in response to the written appeal, saying, “This individual was asked not to park in the handicap space and to double park the previous day when making a delivery.”
During deliberations, Commissioner Drew Magratten asked whether the enforcement officer sat in their vehicle prior to issuing the ticket “or did they confront the person again, saying, ‘I told you yesterday either move—’ or was there another interaction?”
“Just want to give people the benefit of the doubt or again are we in the ‘We need to write tickets’ business? Or are we into like getting them off the street? If it was me, and I was in the car, and it was the second time, I would say, ‘I see you there, either move right now or I’m giving you the ticket.’ Give them the second chance.”
Commissioner Nancy Bemis said, “I think it was pretty nice she gave him the first chance.”
When Chair Laura Budd pointed out that the truck driver had blocked a disabled parking space, Magratten said that truck drivers “on’t care about whether we have enough handicapped parking.”
“They’re trying to unload to a business,” he said. “And you’re not going to walk halfway down the block to carry a bunch of stuff.”
Bemis said they often use a hand truck.
Budd said to Magratten, “How would you feel if your mobility is impaired and you’re looking for a space, right?”
Magratten said “that’s true.”
He added, “But the point is, as you described earlier in the meeting, we don’t have enough loading zones and they’re not convenient. So I don’t think he’s thinking about who he’s going to insult where he parks. He’s just trying to park where he can get his job done, and get out of there. And we’re not making it easy for anybody.”
Ultimately, the Commission voted 5-0 to uphold, with Budd, Bemis, Magratten, Secretary Jennifer Donovan and Commissioner Marley Thackray voting.