Boston parking tickets can range between $15 to $120 depending on where you park and how long you leave your vehicle. City Councilor At-Large Julia Mejia suggests these amounts could be just a hassle for some while, for low-income individuals, it could create a real hardship. As a solution, Mejia is slated to introduce a hearing to discuss income-adjusted parking tickets.
New York City and the state of California are considering similar programs that would cut fines by a certain percentage for low-income drivers, or have a judge determine what the fine should cost based the offender’s income.
What do you think? Should parking ticket amounts be income-based? Vote in our poll and add your comments in the section below!
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This suggestion is absolutely ludicrous what is this city coming to. Tickets should not be based on an individuals income again that is ludicrous and absurd
She feels that low income people are less guilty the higher income people. Or low income people are more prone to smoking. They need to be able to double park to buy a pack. She owns stock in tobacco companies. Now it’s making more sense.
How would the City know anyone’s income?
This could be the worst idea in the history of bad ideas.
Oh just wait. They go overboard trying to outdo each other. Our Council’s proposals are like the suggestion box in the loony bin.
This is ridiculous. Don’t break parking law and you won’t get tickets.
Well while we’re at it, why not give senior citizens a break or maybe City residents as opposed to the people who drive in for the weekend and take our spots?
Both of these seems reasonable enough to be taken into consideration; as does the proposal in the original post.
This is the most Massachusetts thing I’ve ever heard.
It’s this kind of unintelligent thinking that makes me fear for our species. This is a foolish idea.
The proposition that some would choose pay a parking ticket rather than eat is foolish to begin with. If I were that desparate , I would eat and wait for them to come get me.
Please! Obey the parking regulations and you won’t have tickets! Very simple way to save that money, it is also called being a respectful citizen. Fined should always be assessed according to the offense.
This will only make people park illegally and not take the T. I don’t even own a car but in the North End, this is not a good idea!
Maybe, if you own property and pay high property taxes (Like we do in the North End), we should get a break on parking tickets?
Try that one.
Totally crazy. Whoever even thought up this idea should be voted out of office!
This is a pretty crazy idea. Where does it lead… where does it end?
Has to be the stupidest idea I have ever heard!!!!!! So any crime would be on a financial scale ???
So, if I were rich, then I could commit murder, and could serve a short sentence —-or, only pay a large fine and everyone is happy ??
Finland charges income-adjusted speeding tickets. Helsinki, the capital, just reported zero pedestrian and cyclist fatalities in 2019 and only three motorist fatalities. Helsinki is about as large as Boston with 632K people. We have more traffic deaths because most people can afford the slap on the wrist.
If, instead, tickets hit wealthier people in their wallet as much as lower income people, then people would start behaving better.
Let’s be more like Finland. Let’s save lives.
Finland’s tickets: http://bit.ly/2HmDgqf
Helsinki traffic deaths 2019: http://bit.ly/2ORK7Mi
If a rich guy is riding in a limo and his driver gets pulled over for speeding, whose income do they use? How do they account for taxi drivers where most of their income is tips? Do people have to show their most recent tax return as well as license and registration?
Great questions! I’d like to learn more about the law, but I suspect that I’d need to learn Finnish.
Stat man ,the proposed income adjusted idea is about parking tickets not speeding tickets and if implemented it isn’t going to save any lives here or in Finland?
I know… but the lesson stands. Charge wealthier people more for tickets, and their behavior will change. Someone earning $100K a year won’t blink at a $60 parking ticket, but at $600 or $6,000? I bet they’d stop parking illegally.
Parking illegally isn’t victimless either, e.g., double parking can obscure crosswalks, leading to drivers to hit pedestrians when they attempt to round the parked car.
Let’s say someone with a 6 figure income is pulled over going 10 miles over the limit and someone below the poverty line gets pulled over going 70 in a 25, who pays more?
Let’s say someone making 6 figures runs over pedestrian and kills him. Then let’s say someone below the poverty line runs over a pedestrian and kills him. Should the charges be reduced for low income? It gets even more confusing when they take into account the income of the pedestrian. So you still feel that justice and penalty should be governed by income?
Reminds me of the story about a guy whose wife asks him to pick up a gallon of milk on his way home. The guy walks in a convenience store gets the milk and brings it to the counter. There is a customer ahead of him who also has a gallon of milk. The clerk tells the first customer that will be 4 dollars . The 2nd customer puts his gallon of milk on the counter and the clerk says that will be 6 dollars.? The customer tells the clerk that the guy in front of him bought the same exact item & you charged him 4 dollars so why are you charging me 6 dollars? The clerk tells him you look like you can afford more.
Learn how to read the signs if you can afford a car in Boston you can afford the ticket