In your opinion...what does "No Overnight Parking" mean?

[kamik86]

Well, living in New England and knowing our - my city's, anyway, winter parking ban, I would say having your car parked where you know nighttime parking is restricted, between midnight and 6 AM, means you violated the sign/law.

eta: I see the son was parked in a (presumably private) parking lot. All bets are off. 'Overnight' is whatever the owner of the lot says it is.

See even this changes by area. In my town in winter you can't park on the streets any time after dark. I'm not sure why since I would think a storm starting at noon would have just as much of an issue with cars on the street for plowing as a storm starting at midnight!

 

[Jeafl]

THe signs in our neighborhood say No Overnight Parking, but then underneath it says "between the hours of 2:00 am and 6:00 am". I would not think that midnight was considered overnight. I feel bad for your son.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

The Mystery Machine, I'd like you to meet tomthebarncat; tomthebarncat...The Mystery Machine.

Really? That seems a bit ridiculous.

Seriously? That seems harsh. I think the financial difficulty imposed is punishment enough--this kid learned a lesson. And there is nothing in the facts to indicate the kid was lazy--he made a reasonable, but incorrect, assessment of what the sign said.

That seems a tad over the top. If he interpreted the sign differently, how was he being lazy?

Yep, it is harsh. Don't care how he interpreted the sign. If you don't know what the rules are then park elsewhere, duh.

If you are going to play stupid or be lazy about where you park your car, you will be treated accordingly to how we see fit.

Deliberately parking in a PRIVATE parking lot with a sign of "no overnight parking" and leaving your car there in the dark is not very wise.

Since he is 18 and came at me with a "story", he might get the keys taken away, just for that.

If he came at me saying, I messed up, I saw the sign and parked there anyway, I am sorry. I will pay for the ticket and take care of it. Then no keys taken away more than likely.

It is up to how the kid behaves as to how I go about with doling out the punishment.

In case 1, kid is not accepting responsibility for the actions. In case 2 he is and probably will not repeat the mistake.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Ok, whatever the $137 is for, whether it's a ticket or towing fee.

Well, you can't really fight the towing charge. The car was towed, likely in accordance with the agreement between the parking lot owner and the towing company. The tow truck could have been waiting near the car for midnight to strike so the driver could tow the car.

 

[dakcp2001]

Yep, it is harsh. Don't care how he interpreted the sign. If you don't know what the rules are then park elsewhere, duh.

If you are going to play stupid or be lazy about where you park your car, you will be treated accordingly to how we see fit.

Deliberately parking in a PRIVATE parking lot with a sign of "no overnight parking" and leaving your car there in the dark is not very wise.

Since he is 18 and came at me with a "story", he might get the keys taken away, just for that.

If he came at me saying, I messed up, I saw the sign and parked there anyway, I am sorry. I will pay for the ticket and take care of it. Then no keys taken away more than likely.

It is up to how the kid behaves as to how I go about with doling out the punishment.

In case 1, kid is not accepting responsibility for the actions. In case 2 he is and probably will not repeat the mistake.

The kid was only 5 minutes late, he could have lied about it and his mom prob never would have known or been the wiser. He sounds like a pretty good kid, just made a mistake. If I were your kid, you would have gotten the short version to avoid the unecessary lecture. Sorry I was late mom. Then just take the punishment and keep the rest to yourself. Kids are smart.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Yep, it is harsh. Don't care how he interpreted the sign. If you don't know what the rules are then park elsewhere, duh.

If you are going to play stupid or be lazy about where you park your car, you will be treated accordingly to how we see fit.

Deliberately parking in a PRIVATE parking lot with a sign of "no overnight parking" and leaving your car there in the dark is not very wise.

Since he is 18 and came at me with a "story", he might get the keys taken away, just for that.

If he came at me saying, I messed up, I saw the sign and parked there anyway, I am sorry. I will pay for the ticket and take care of it. Then no keys taken away more than likely.

It is up to how the kid behaves as to how I go about with doling out the punishment.

In case 1, kid is not accepting responsibility for the actions. In case 2 he is and probably will not repeat the mistake.

I kind of feel like "Elf" and you're the rabid raccoon who needs a but I'll respond anyway.

Well, APPARENTLY he thought he DID know what the rules were...duh...because the sign said "no parking overnight" and he was, in fact, not parking overnight. He wasn't "playing stupid" or "being lazy"...he misinterpreted a sign, and he paid the price.

He didn't COME AT ME with a story. I don't even know what that means. He came home and told me what happened. He paid the fee to get the car back, THERE WAS NO TICKET, he talked to his law teacher who told him he was wrong, lesson learned, moving on.

He didn't have to COME AT ME with anything. I never would have known, but I DO have a good relationship with my child. Does your kid COME AT YOU with "stories"? A shame.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

The kid was only 5 minutes late, he could have lied about it and his mom prob never would have known or been the wiser. He sounds like a pretty good kid, just made a mistake. If I were your kid, you would have gotten the short version to avoid the unecessary lecture. Sorry I was late mom. Then just take the punishment and keep the rest to yourself. Kids are smart.

Thank you.

 

[joviroxx]

Nope, my mistake...it was a parking lot. This is what I get for trying to process information at 1 AM. He talked to his law teacher today...he's SOL. Case closed, lesson learned. On to the next one! And please God, make it as trivial at this!

I think its a lesson learned.. He sounds like a good kid! And I agree, I wish all their lessons would be this simple. Bet it won't happen to him again! Forward and onward!

 

[dakcp2001]

Well, you can't really fight the towing charge. The car was towed, likely in accordance with the agreement between the parking lot owner and the towing company. The tow truck could have been waiting near the car for midnight to strike so the driver could tow the car.

Where I grew up the tow trucks in the city have a loop they follow by certain lots and streets all night just waiting for a car to be there. If they get a car, they make money so it benefits them to be out there on the weekends or if there is an event or something going on. The owners of the lots and the city have already given them the go ahead to grab the cars. So you may only have your car left for a few minutes before it is gone. And they probably saw you walk way from it. They make a lot of money near the colleges.

 

[pospisil]

I would have thought that it meant not to park the car and leave it there til morning. After all, if DS stays overnight with a friend, he doesn't come home at midnight, he stays there til morning. If I have to let something sit overnight (a recipe, some craft thing), it waits til morning. So thank you for posting this, I learned something!

 

[dngnb8]

No parking at night.

 

[ols386]

Well, you can't really fight the towing charge. The car was towed, likely in accordance with the agreement between the parking lot owner and the towing company. The tow truck could have been waiting near the car for midnight to strike so the driver could tow the car.

My point wasn't to fight any kind of charge, whether it's a ticket or a towing charge. I already said I'd pay it, and chalk the experience up to lesson learned.

 

[HeWhoMustNotBeNamed]

I guess with the "b" definition they would be OK to tow.

Very sorry to hear about it, though ...


Definition of OVERNIGHT
1a : on the evening before b : during the night <stayed away overnight>
2: very quickly or suddenly <became famous overnight>

 

[tomthebarncat]

What an A**hole response!

How is that a rude response?? here in Germany, every one knows that the laws pertains to the hours of 10pm-6am, it is one of the questions on the extensive driver's testing. Every one knows this it is common knowledge, so once again, I am baffled by the responses. It is always someone else's fault, that is why I do not live or work in the states, the attitude and sense of entitlement would drive me crazy!! I parked my car in a no parking spot yet I don't understand what I did wrong??? hello, can you follow simple instruction??

 

[OceanAnnie]

How is that a rude response?? here in Germany, every one knows that the laws pertains to the hours of 10pm-6am, it is one of the questions on the extensive driver's testing. Every one knows this it is common knowledge, so once again, I am baffled by the responses. It is always someone else's fault, that is why I do not live or work in the states, the attitude and sense of entitlement would drive me crazy!! I parked my car in a no parking spot yet I don't understand what I did wrong??? hello, can you follow simple instruction??

No need to build a case against Americans. It's not that big a deal.

 

[Heidict]

How is that a rude response?? here in Germany, every one knows that the laws pertains to the hours of 10pm-6am, it is one of the questions on the extensive driver's testing. Every one knows this it is common knowledge, so once again, I am baffled by the responses. It is always someone else's fault, that is why I do not live or work in the states, the attitude and sense of entitlement would drive me crazy!! I parked my car in a no parking spot yet I don't understand what I did wrong??? hello, can you follow simple instruction??

Well guess what. This didn't happen in Germany, so your laws and rules don't apply. Unless the hours are specified on the sign it is open to interpretation. There is no 10pm-6am rule here.

So, in light of that, yes your response was rude and ignorant.

 

[FireDancer]

I think it depends on the city. In the city I grew up in there was no street parking at all from 3:00am - 7:00am. At 3:00 they started giving tickets and it didn't matter if there was a sign or not since it was a city-wide rule and they expected you to know it. I know there was no sign what so ever on the street I grew up on. It got knocked down at one point and never replaced. They didn't tow luckily unless they ticketed the car for multiple nights in a row.

I was in Virginia Beach in 2009 and across the street was a no overnight parking lot. There it meant midnight and at 11:50 about 15 tow trucks showed up. At midnight on the dot they all drove into the lot and hooked up cars. If the owner showed up at 12:01 it was too bad. We were out on the balcony watching this and it looked like owners that showed up could pay a fee and get their cars off the truck.

If I were to park in front of a sign that vague I would either break out the phone and do a search for the rule in that city or, more likely, find a different spot to park.

 

[DebD4T]

I would have thought that it meant not to park the car and leave it there til morning.

Me too!! I guess I would be considered "lazy".

OP, sorry your DS had such trouble. The sign definitely sounds vague.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

How is that a rude response?? here in Germany, every one knows that the laws pertains to the hours of 10pm-6am, it is one of the questions on the extensive driver's testing. Every one knows this it is common knowledge, so once again, I am baffled by the responses. It is always someone else's fault, that is why I do not live or work in the states, the attitude and sense of entitlement would drive me crazy!! I parked my car in a no parking spot yet I don't understand what I did wrong??? hello, can you follow simple instruction??

Like capitals at the beginning of a sentence? Oh wait...maybe that's an American thing?

Did I not specify that this wasn't in Germany? LOL

And apparently, reading the responses, "overnight" doesn't mean the same thing all over the United States.

I don't see anyone blaming anyone else, particularly me or my DS. He paid the bill, followed through and found out he made a mistake. Done.

If it will make anyone happy, I will beat him senseless when he comes home today.

 

[goofy!]

Yep, it is harsh. Don't care how he interpreted the sign. If you don't know what the rules are then park elsewhere, duh.

If you are going to play stupid or be lazy about where you park your car, you will be treated accordingly to how we see fit.

Deliberately parking in a PRIVATE parking lot with a sign of "no overnight parking" and leaving your car there in the dark is not very wise.

Since he is 18 and came at me with a "story", he might get the keys taken away, just for that.

If he came at me saying, I messed up, I saw the sign and parked there anyway, I am sorry. I will pay for the ticket and take care of it. Then no keys taken away more than likely.

It is up to how the kid behaves as to how I go about with doling out the punishment.

In case 1, kid is not accepting responsibility for the actions. In case 2 he is and probably will not repeat the mistake.

I am still wrapping my head around the fact that you still take the keys away from a legal 18 year old adult who was late. And that they let you.

OP - your son sounds like a responsible adult. He checked out his options (who of us would not?) and is learning from his mistakes.

I don't think any of us can claim perfection back when we were new drivers. We all made mistakes of one kind or another. I know 30+ years later, I still make mistakes.