A MAN who was hit with a $50 ticket for parking in a reserved spot was left livid when he discovered no one else parked in the area received a fine.
Jarvis Creagh from Mobile, Alabama, was slapped with the ticket after stopping his car in a bay that’s limited to electric vehicles only.
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But Creagh is now demanding that law enforcement officers be held accountable too, stating that several, non-electric police vehicles were parked in the reserved parking area alongside him – but none of them received a ticket.
He says that he paid the parking rate in order to use the lot, and believed he should be able to leave his car in the spot reserved for EVs as there was no longer space for non-electric vehicles.
The parking lot, located on Church Street outside of Government Plaza, is overseen by Republic Parking, according to a City of Mobile spokesperson.
Creagh said: “It was November 21st. I came down here. I paid for parking, and I noticed there were no parking spots available.
“So, I parked in the electric vehicle parking spot. I came out, and I had a ticket.”
He added “I saw multiple police vehicles and everybody else. They did not get any tickets or anything. I am like, like, what is going on?”
Creagh later snapped photos of the local Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office vehicle and other law enforcement agency vehicles parked in the reserved EV charging stations.
Speaking to NBC 15 news, he says it is unfair that he solely received a ticket.
NBC 15 news said that they reached out to MCSO regarding the photos taken by Creagh, and a spokesperson said the deputy assigned to the vehicle should be abiding by the rules of designated parking.
Creagh added: “I just wish if you held one person accountable, hold everyone accountable.”
The City of Mobile have since shared a statement with NBC 15 News regarding the situation: “The City of Mobile owns the parking lot where these EV parking chargers/spaces are located on Church Street.
“That lot is managed for the city by Republic Parking, and they are who would issue tickets for parking any violations.
“We do allow law enforcement vehicles to park in that lot to accommodate officers going to court or handling other matters at City Hall.
“However, the EV chargers are supposed to be reserved for EV vehicles only.
“After receiving a complaint from a citizen, we reached out to Republic Parking and to the office of Public Safety to make sure that everyone knows those spaces are for electric vehicles only.”
This comes as a driver in Des Moines, Iowa, was left shocked to find his car had been towed just 10 minutes after he parked it – and he’s not the only one with a complaint.
Iowa’s towing industry is under fire after drivers and former employees accused businesses of exploiting unsuspecting car owners.
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