Ticket Woes In Westchester As 'No Parking' Signs Aren't Seen By Drivers
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Their day was already hard. They had just gone to a funeral. Then, driver after driver discovered tickets on their cars because they didn't spot the no parking sign.
There are signs across Westchester warning people not to park on certain streets on certain days of the week for street maintenance. But drivers said that the signs are too discreet.
Kelly Ambre had come to pay her respects. But now, she might have to pay a $35 fine.
"Friend's child. 22 years old. Passed away," Ambre said.
She said she parked on the next block over from Divine Infant Catholic Church Wednesday.
"Parking was pretty limited," she said. "Was in there for 45 minutes to an hour, came out and there was a whole line of us with tickets."
There is a sign at the far end of the block, away from the church, warning of a no parking ordinance on Wednesdays for street maintenance. But Ambre said she entered the block from the opposite end, did a three-point turn, and parked hundreds of feet away from the sign.
Ambre said she never saw it and photos show several other cars on the block with tickets after the funeral. At least two others who attended said they also never saw the sign.
"To ticket obvious grieving family members and friends seemed kind of ludicrous," Ambre said.
Officers started cracking down on street maintenance parking violations over the past couple of years. The Westchester police chief said this month, they've written more than 800 tickets. As for the placement of the signs, the chief said they are not responsible for that -- public works is.
But when CBS 2 called the Village of Westchester trying to ask questions, a staff member said to call the police department.
There is a sign closer to the church warning people of no parking on Thursdays. That's on the opposite side of the street from where the tickets were placed Wednesday.
"To have it at one corner of the block and the other corner of the block, you know, if I'm not driving that way I would not have seen the sign," Ambre said.
The police chief is encouraging people to call his office to contest the tickets from the funeral.