How would you interpret this parking sign?

[1995hoo]

I know how I would interpret this. How the ticket-writers interpret it is a different matter. From WTOP radio in DC: http://bit.ly/1MdHNcL

The question is about the sign regulating parking in this picture:

[freebrickproductions]

I would say that you aren't allowed to park from 9 am to 5 pm on any day unless it's a Sunday.

[PurdueBill]

Before looking at the link, I came up with what the majority came up with.  How did DDOT ticket officer A. Mattox come up with whatever the hell they came up with?!?!?

"Anytime" should be removed from the sign to help make it less confusing...

[hotdogPi]

I also thought there was a rule against two unrelated signs on the same post.

[1995hoo]

Before looking at the link, I came up with what the majority came up with.  How did DDOT ticket officer A. Mattox come up with whatever the hell they came up with?!?!?

"Anytime" should be removed from the sign to help make it less confusing...

I also came up with what the majority said.

If the idea is to say parking is allowed only during those hours and only on Sunday, it should be like the other sign shown in the article. Given how narrow that street is, it's certainly plausible to ban parking. DC often allows parking near churches on Sundays in places where it isn't normally allowed, but the signs are usually a lot clearer than this one.

[freebrickproductions]

"Except" should be written above the time period and have the word "and" between the time period and "Sundays".

[riiga]

I would say that you aren't allowed to park from 9 am to 5 pm on any day unless it's a Sunday.

That's my interpretation as well.

Something like this might be easier to understand

[kphoger]

I would interpret "NO PARKING/ANYTIME/9AM-5PM/EXCEPT SUNDAYS" as saying a person is not allowed to park at any time between 9 AM and 5 PM on Monday through Saturday.

So, basically:
Parking is allowed all day Sunday, but only 5 PM to 9 AM the rest of the week.

[jeffandnicole]

I would say that you aren't allowed to park from 9 am to 5 pm on any day unless it's a Sunday.

That's my interpretation as well.

Something like this might be easier to understand

Based on the width of that lane, that's not what it should be though.  Why no parking during a workday, but allowing parking during rush hours?

"No parking anytime except 9am-5pm Sunday" should be what is posted.

[kkt]

Or, "No parking 9 AM-5 PM Monday-Saturday"

[KEK Inc.]

That lane is too narrow to have cars parked.  It should say, "No Parking Monday to Saturday. Sunday 9AM-5PM OK."



MON-SAT is probably confusing since people will park before 9 AM and after 5 PM. 

[Brandon]

I would say that you aren't allowed to park from 9 am to 5 pm on any day unless it's a Sunday.

That's my interpretation as well.

Something like this might be easier to understand

That's pretty close to how it would be signed in Chicago, but it would be all one sign instead of modular parts.

[1995hoo]

The more I think about the sign shown in the first post, the more I think the word "anytime" is problematic when it's coupled with a time range as it is on that sign. It's potentially ambiguous given that in most places I've ever been, "anytime" normally means "ever" or "at all"–"No Parking or Standing Anytime" is common on fire lanes, for example, to indicate you're never allowed to do either.

If you want to ban parking between 9 AM and 5 PM, all the sign has to say is "No Parking 9 AM—5 PM." To make an exception for Sunday, you can add "Except Sundays." That sign would imply parking is allowed outside those hours. If instead you want to allow parking ONLY between 9 AM and 5 PM on Sunday, and on no other day, the sign can say "No Parking Anytime Except 9 AM—5 PM Sundays."

[jeffandnicole]

Most of you are not getting it. Parking is ONLY permitted Sundays from 9am to 5pm.

That lane is too narrow to have cars parked.  It should say, "No Parking Monday to Saturday. Sunday 9AM-5PM OK."



MON-SAT is probably confusing since people will park before 9 AM and after 5 PM. 

This doesn't work because it doesn't mention Sunday from midnight-9am, and 5pm-midnight.

If you want to ban parking between 9 AM and 5 PM, all the sign has to say is "No Parking 9 AM—5 PM." To make an exception for Sunday, you can add "Except Sundays." That sign would imply parking is allowed outside those hours. If instead you want to allow parking ONLY between 9 AM and 5 PM on Sunday, and on no other day, the sign can say "No Parking Anytime Except 9 AM—5 PM Sundays."

There is no parking permitted at all during the weekdays. That's the problem with the current sign: people believe parking is permitted before 9 and after 5, but it's not.

[1995hoo]

Most of you are not getting it. Parking is ONLY permitted Sundays from 9am to 5pm.

....

Did you read the article linked in the first post? Part of the problem is that there is disagreement over what it means. You agree with DC ticket-writer A. Mattox, but almost everyone else interprets it differently.

[KEK Inc.]

Most of you are not getting it. Parking is ONLY permitted Sundays from 9am to 5pm.

....

Did you read the article linked in the first post? Part of the problem is that there is disagreement over what it means. You agree with DC ticket-writer A. Mattox, but almost everyone else interprets it differently.

I think everyone here agrees that the sign is poorly written and can be interpreted either way, but it's clearly intended to be no parking anytime except Sunday 9am-5pm.   No way in hell parking would be allowed there on weekdays with how narrow that street is.

[1995hoo]

Most of you are not getting it. Parking is ONLY permitted Sundays from 9am to 5pm.

....

Did you read the article linked in the first post? Part of the problem is that there is disagreement over what it means. You agree with DC ticket-writer A. Mattox, but almost everyone else interprets it differently.

I think everyone here agrees that the sign is poorly written and can be interpreted either way, but it's clearly intended to be no parking anytime except Sunday 9am-5pm.   No way in hell parking would be allowed there on weekdays with how narrow that street is.

I agree with that comment about how narrow the lane is. It's consistent with practice around the District of making exceptions to parking rules on Sunday for streets near churches, although they often go too far (double-parking, and blocking residents into parallel parking spots from which they then cannot leave, is unfortunately tolerated even though it's explicitly illegal).

[KEK Inc.]

That said, I think the sign shouldn't be enforceable due to its lack of clarity, despite its intent.

[jakeroot]

Pertaining to the discussion on whether or not the lane is too narrow to have cars parked on it...

If anything, narrow roads contribute to slower speeds, since traffic has to be decently courteous to proceed.

EDIT: Wanted to add that I like the idea of narrow lanes as long as the road isn't a major arterial.

[1995hoo]

That said, I think the sign shouldn't be enforceable due to its lack of clarity, despite its intent.

I'd like to know how DC's other ticket-writers have interpreted the sign. The story doesn't say.

[jeffandnicole]

Most of you are not getting it. Parking is ONLY permitted Sundays from 9am to 5pm.

....

Did you read the article linked in the first post? Part of the problem is that there is disagreement over what it means. You agree with DC ticket-writer A. Mattox, but almost everyone else interprets it differently.

That doesn't mean everyone else is right. As I and others have mentioned, the lane is too narrow for parking, which makes it fairly clear parking shouldn't normally be occurring here (I would debate why they even allow it on Sundays, but they do) . And this is just one sign.  Are others on the street worded the same?

Heck, if I dare bring up my Trenton roundabout signage issue, it doesn't matter what is signed...it matters what is permitted. And in this case, while the majority may say parking is permitted, the officer is abiding by what the rule legally is for parking on the road.

[US81]

Most of you are not getting it. Parking is ONLY permitted Sundays from 9am to 5pm.

....

Did you read the article linked in the first post? Part of the problem is that there is disagreement over what it means. You agree with DC ticket-writer A. Mattox, but almost everyone else interprets it differently.

That doesn't mean everyone else is right. As I and others have mentioned, the lane is too narrow for parking, which makes it fairly clear parking shouldn't normally be occurring here (I would debate why they even allow it on Sundays, but they do) . And this is just one sign.  Are others on the street worded the same?

Heck, if I dare bring up my Trenton roundabout signage issue, it doesn't matter what is signed...it matters what is permitted. And in this case, while the majority may say parking is permitted, the officer is abiding by what the rule legally is for parking on the road.

The officer is abiding by what he or she understands is the legal rule for parking on the road. The signage should be clear.

[jeffandnicole]

I think a cop knows the rule without going by the signage. They typically are pretty familiar with their jurisdictions.  After all, they know the violation numbers by heart usually, which certainly aren't displayed on any signage.

[US81]

The officer is abiding by what he or she understands is the legal rule for parking on the road. The signage should be clear.

To clarify: the signage should be clear to the driving public. This is an example of a sign that is not clear (except perhaps to law enforcement) and should be emended.

[1995hoo]

I think a cop knows the rule without going by the signage. They typically are pretty familiar with their jurisdictions.  After all, they know the violation numbers by heart usually, which certainly aren't displayed on any signage.

Don't EVER make that assumption as to DC ticket-writers. There are loads of stories in the local media about invalid tickets being written because the cop made up his own interpretation of the law. There was one recently about a ticket-writer who wrote over 100 invalid parking tickets in a single day. Then there was the one when the District abolished license plate decals in favor of window stickers, but the ticket-writers all started writing tickets to people who had outdated license plate stickers despite those cars having current window stickers.

I think US81 and KEK Inc. ultimately have it right. Note the other sign shown at the end of the article linked in the first post. It's also posted in DC and it says "No Parking Except Sundays 9:30 AM—2:00 PM." That sign is perfectly clear. No reason to have inconsistent wording around the city. Saying "the road is narrow" doesn't necessarily work because there are a number of DC streets that are too narrow for the parking that's allowed, but it's nevertheless allowed.