11/16/2007
Texas: Motorists Ticketed for Parking in Own DrivewayPickup truck drivers in Houston, Texas are receiving parking tickets in their own driveway.
Motorists in Houston, Texas are waking up to find tickets on vehicles that are parked in their own driveways. According to the city's parking management agency, a large pickup truck that hangs over a sidewalk -- even slightly -- is in violation of city statutes and deserves a $35 ticket. KHOU television interviewed several residents upset that meter maids have descended on their private property.
"I read on the ticket where we are blocking the sidewalk," James Ball told KHOU. "I'm like 'Yes, I am blocking the sidewalk.' But this is my sidewalk.... I'm an honest law abiding citizen and I'm being taken advantage of
Ball's neighborhood is filled with pickup trucks longer than resident driveways. The city neither owns nor maintains the sidewalks -- they are the property of homeowners.