What follows are excerpts from parking ticket appeals letters filed recently with the New Canaan Parking Bureau. Where available, we’ve included information on the violation for which these people were cited, in what amount, and where and when the violation occurred. We preserve spelling, capital letters and punctuation as written by the appellant.
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“I am requesting that you please provide a waiver for this ticket. I am not from Connecticut and I was only passing through briefly (after a visit with my parents) with a quick stop at the bagel shop before heading to the Merritt Parkway. I was not fully aware at the time that the lot required payment on weekends. I saw the officer just after he placed the ticket on my car and spoke to him directly to let him know that this was an honest mistake. I was in and out of the eatery within 10 minutes. He informed me then that there is a parking fee due for Saturdays. Fore the aforementioned reasons, I am requesting my ticket be dismissed. I have not committed any other violations and my driving record is clean.”
—$25 for unpaid space at Morse Court, at 11:22 a.m. on Feb. 18
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“Not sure why I received this summons. It says ’90 minute parking.’ In fact another car pulled out of this spot and then I pulled in. And when I left another car pulled right in. No ‘no parking’ sign, as the picture shows. What happened here?”
—$30 for no parking on Elm Street
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“I had an emergency notification regarding my tire system and put my hazard lights on on my car while I ran into the gas station to ask for help. It was a pending emergency and had no intention of parking in a handicapped zone.”
—$100 for handicapped zone in Morse Court, at 12:16 p.m. on Nov. 29
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“I moved my car back to the same spot I was in earlier (over an hour later) but still got a ticket.”
—$25 for overtime parking on Burtis Avenue, at 2:17 p.m. on Feb. 15 and again at 3:58 p.m. on Feb. 15
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“Was not in that spot for 90 min. also feel that $25 is an exorbitant amount of money for a parking fine. Thank you for your consideration.”
—$25 for overtime parking on Main Street, at 12:47 p.m. on Feb. 23
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“I had the pass clipped to the back of my sun shade which I pulled down. The light hitting the windshield made it difficult to see. If possible, please return my uncashed check.”
—$100 for handicapped zone on Elm Street at 1:53 p.m. on Jan. 14
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“I am from South Windsor, CT and was teaching my 1st dance class in New Canaan, CT. I was lost, stopped and had my hazard lights on. I explained to the person writing my ticket, as I was in my car, I was lost. Ticket was written and I was told it was too late.”
—$75 for obstructing the crosswalk on Main Street, at 3:54 p.m. on Jan. 26