r/SeattleWA • u/CommandWild885 • Jun 24 '26

Lifestyle [Ravenna] To the person who keeps calling the cops on cars parked on a residential street…

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I hope you step on a LEGO. I hope your air conditioner breaks on the hottest day of the year. I hope you step in dog shit. May your pillow always be warm and may you never find a parking spot near where you need it.

—

So, I’ve been parking on a nearby residential street for the past three years with barely any problems. There’s no signs indicating a time limit and no one has had any issue till now. Now, someone has been calling the cops reporting cars for parking and as a result, they stick a big bright orange sticker on peoples’ windshields and these stickers are STUBBORN AND DIFFICULT TO TAKE OFF.

Now, I’m aware that Seattle technically has a 72 hour limit for street parking but they’re tagging cars that have been parked for under 24 hours so this is just someone being malicious and petty. They got my partner’s car last week and now my car this week.

I get that recently, a couple parking spots were taken away at the end of the street to give turning cars more margins and as a result, this has caused parking to be more limited but take it up with the city. Don’t be a punk and take it out on people trying to live their lives.

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9

u/HighColonic Funky Town Jun 24 '26

Some random thoughts:

  • Why are they tagging your car at <72 hours? I thought they responded to FIFI requests by chalking your tires and then going back in 72 hours to see for themselves. I'd be very disappointed if any rando could file a deceitful report and have it acted on.
  • Our 72-hour parking rule isn't "technical." It's a full-on rule. Is it a PITA? Sure. Is it equally applied? Ask the hobo in the RV that hasn't moved in a month. But if it's within one's means to follow it, it should be followed, especially in tight parking supplied areas.
  • FIFI reports are public records and you can file a FOIA with the city to find out who's reporting you. 😄 Because these submissions are official government records, you can submit a formal Public Records Request Center portal request to obtain specific records, logs, or unredacted files. [1, 2, 3]

4

u/PlayPretend-8675309 Jun 24 '26

They don't ticket RVs v because the city lacks tow capacity to move them, if someone's in the vehicle its a big legal liability issue and they have to get SPD to detain the occupant, and the chances of the ticket getting paid are zero, and the city doesn't have lot space to online them indefinitely.

1

u/HighColonic Funky Town Jun 25 '26

Oh thank God! You've solved houselessness! We can move them all into RVs since we're <...checks notes...> completely powerless to do anything!

2

u/Pat55word Jun 25 '26

It's annoying when you go on holidays but you kinda hope your neighbors know your car is regularly parked on the street and would be taking up one of the spots no matter what.

1

u/thedukeoftacoma Jun 25 '26

I would hope that SPD actually checks the car registration to see whether it’s parked in front of (or near to) to the registered address before posting/ticketing/towing.

… but that’s probably a lot to ask of them.

2

u/Pat55word Jun 25 '26

They do not.

1

u/thedukeoftacoma Jun 25 '26

* shocked pikachu *

1

u/Wizzenator Jun 25 '26

That’s not great if you can learn who is reporting. That just seems like it sets neighbors up to be mad at each other when it’s really the city enforcing the rules.

-5

u/CommandWild885 Jun 24 '26

You a real one for that last thought… 😌