I sent the city of Portland a check in the amount of $15 for the parking violation that my wife and I were issued Feb. 21. But this ticket is unfair and unjust in every way.

We parked downtown on the street where there was legitimate street parking. Where we parked, there was no signage indicating that we were supposed to feed a meter machine across the sidewalk over by a parking lot.

As visitors, not residents, how were we supposed to know without some sort of sign or instruction of some fashion that we are supposed to go find a meter machine and feed it? If we knew that we were supposed to do that, we would have. We have not been ticketed for anything for the last 20 or 30 years.

I took a couple of pictures to show that there was no way we could have known that we were in violation of the laws, but after reading the procedure listed on the ticket required to fight the fine, I decided that two trips back and forth to Portland from our home in Massachusetts would cost more than the fine.

The verbiage and procedure to clear your name for a parking violation are more like a criminal process.

Needless to say, the receipt of a ticket like that with its harsh language left us with a sour taste in our mouth for the downtown Portland area. We had planned to stay and have dinner that night and go to a play but canceled those plans and left.

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A first-time warning would have been appropriate and instructional.

Rest assured my wife and I will not be returning to your fair city ever again.

Fool me once, you’re the fool – fool me twice, then I’m the fool. You will not be getting a second shot at us.

Paul and Fran Gerroir

Newbury, Mass


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