Some people claim that this practice might be unconstitutional. This sum is over and above the fine the owner has to pay for his original sin. By the way, one has to pay 14,400 forints before they release the car from bondage. This guy obviously overstayed his allotted time curbside. Once his car's wheel is clamped no one else can park in that spot for a while. This practice is actually counterproductive as István Tarlós, Budapest head of the Fidesz delegation, rightly pointed out because the illegally parked vehicle stays even longer in the spot. For an ordinary parking violation the authorities apply a wheel clamp. cars are booted primarily to force payment of outstanding parking tickets. Second, in Budapest they love using " wheel clamping" or, as it's called in the United States, "booting." In the U.S. Each district, and there are twenty-three of them, handles parking independently and uniquely. It can easily happen that the rules that apply on the right hand of the street are not the same as those that apply on the left. First, there is no central parking authority in the city. Well, in Budapest parking is a little more complicated. If you owe outstanding taxes, you must obtain a tax release to claim your car. The tow company charges the owner $77 for towing and $20 a day after the first 24 hours for storage I have no idea what the ticket itself costs. Moreover, if your car was towed for a serious violation or outstanding parking tickets, you must pay your tickets before you can claim your car. The owner then has to phone the police department to find out where his car is. The towing companies that have a contract with the city arrive about fifteen minutes before the hour at 4 o'clock on the dot they start towing! In five minutes all the cars are gone. There are several streets which during rush hour are extremely busy and therefore between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. There are also more stringent rules and regulations that may involve towing one's car away. Depending on the location. Here is one of these meters. Each meter shows the maximum time limit: some allow you stay there for twelve hours, others for as little as fifteen minutes. As I just found out, the city of New Haven has 2,600 parking meters and by now each is equipped with a slot for a smart card. Smart cards ranging in value from $20 to $300 can be purchased on the internet. I don't think I will ever forget the story of the Hungarian doctoral candidate studying in the United states who bitterly complained that the heartless American policeman was not moved by his explanation that his landlady's clock was slow!Īnother reason for my lack of sympathy was that I'm accustomed to a well organized system of parking meters that are checked periodically by the "meter maids," employees of the police department. If they spot one with the red flag saying "expired" the car is ticketed. Moreover, I still hear complaints: "and what about if someone is late and has a dentist's appointment…" Indeed, what about it? It sounded to me as if this explanation was supposed to be enough to deem the parking ticket illegitimate. That's impossible! I know how inventive Hungarians can be when caught. Oh, give me another one, I said to myself. How is it possible that the complaining car owner claims that for two or three years he received no notice about the fine he had to pay but now suddenly he is confronted with a huge late fee? Moreover, the story usually continues, he doesn't even remember parking on such and such a street. I must say that for a while I had no sympathy for those "wronged" because some of the stories simply didn't ring true. After the complaints usually comes an interview with a lawyer who represents thousands of car owners who bitterly complain about fines. They never fail to include a detailed description of all the wrongs they suffered. And not just talk about it but talk about it at length. When György Bolgár includes "parking" among his topics of the day, one can be sure that 90% of the callers will talk about it. I can't believe that I'm writing about parking in Budapest because I'm sick and tired of the topic.
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