[TimmyDee51]

A few weeks ago, not two days after moving to San Francisco, I had my car towed. Why? Because the sign designating my side of the street as a tow away zone was completely covered in grafitti. So, I'm protesting the ticket and the tow and my tow hearing is this afternoon.

Does anyone have any advice on what to bring/say/do at the hearing? I'm going to bring a picture of the obscured sign and my credit card statements showing that I had just arrived in the city. Anything else?

[UNTeMac]

Make sure you read the statute. Then, read it again. Judges hate it when you try to argue something that has nothing to do with the law.

Otherwise, you sound ready enough.

[sideus]

Was the curb painted?

[mitchell_pgh]

1) Take photos of the sign in question.
2) Take those photos to the officer that gave you the original ticket.
3) Try to make an agreement with him that you shouldn't have been ticketed

[TimmyDee51]

The curb wasn't painted, so at least I have that going for me. The street I was parked on is considered a major corridor, so during rush hour they "open" up a fourth lane for driving. All other times of day it is a parking lane.

Thanks to UNTIMac's suggestion, I looked through the California Vehicle Code and SF Muni Code and found some sections that state the regulations aren't enforceable if a required sign is not "sufficiently legible to be seen by an ordinarily observant person". I'm hoping that's the one that get's me off the hook. We'll see soon enough.

[sideus]

Stick it to the man.

[TimmyDee51]

Originally posted by sideus:
Stick it to the man.

Ha! It's funny you say that, because I'm actually wearing my "down with the Man" shirt today (I decided to make a bunch of them in undergrad). Sheer coincidence that I'm wearing it today, too.

Oh, and don't worry, I wasn't planning on wearing it to the hearing.

[Secret__Police]

You can win, but you will still have to pay for the tow.
Sucks, but thats how it will play out for you.

[TimmyDee51]

Well, I had the hearing and I think it went well. I can get the tow refunded (yes, the tow!) if I was parked more than 100 feet from a sign. Which I'm pretty sure I was. In any case, I'd say I was close enough that I can swing it. The hearing lady is going to check out the sign and get back to me.

[ironknee]

alert the media...see if they can help

[zigzag]

Do what I do for all tickets: plead insanity.

[fireside]

Originally posted by zigzag:
Do what I do for all tickets: plead insanity.

we can vouch for that.

[Lancer409]

good luck!

San Fran ticket's are INSANE .. and parking is a B*tch