Fishing for Fairness

[David Organ]

I went fishing on July 30th at around 7:00 AM.  I took my boat on its trailer down to the Loomis Street boat launch area, and parked in the handicapped parking area in the lot down at the beach for that purpose, as I have a handicapped parking permit. 

 

 

I chose to park in the second spot at the ramp, because I figured that if I parked in the first spot, there would not be enough room for other boaters to use the three southernmost boat launch spots.  I also chose to park just a little ahead of the blue line so that other boaters would have more room.  My trailer was about two feet over the line into the first handicapped spot, as you can see here:

 

 

When I came back from fishing (when the above photo was taken), I had a parking violation on my truck.  I checked around and found that there were 6 or 7 other trucks ticketed for the same violation of improper parking and/or double parking.  Some had done a better job than I at parking, like these guys:

 

 

I also noticed, however, that there was also some Michigan State Police (MSP) dive team training going on who had come there with there own trailers and many of these people were parked over the lines on the pavement for parking, but for some odd reason, exactly zero of them had any parking tickets like the rest of us.

 

 

Thinking this wasn't exactly fair, I went to the Ludington Police Department and tried to explain to the police chief, a Mr. Mark Barnett, the reason why I was over the line, which as I said, was to allow others to be able to use the boat launch without interference.  I am completely deaf in my right ear, and 80% deaf in my left and so I have a habit of talking loud; he cautioned me that I was talking to loud and to tone it down. 

 

He was not willing to relax the enforcement of this ticket, so I invited him to go down to the boat launch so I could show him my reasoning (and perhaps the MSP's sloppy parking too), and he said he would look but that he wasn't going to dismiss the ticket.  I asked him whether there were any complaints as to how I parked and he admitted there were none.  

 

Further arguing along these points had him telling me that I was to get out of his office or he was going to arrest me.  I pointed my finger at his body and told him it was part of his job to hear my complaint, and then he accused me later of pointing my finger in his face.  When it felt useless to argue further, I paid off the $30 for the ticket (the ticket made by Beach Patrol Officer Kennedy was for $75, so I got an unexpected rebate thanks to the Chief not paying attention to detail).  

 

He asked whether I wanted a receipt, and I said "Yes, because I don't trust you!".  He then hollered at me to get out of his building, which I was happy to do after I received the receipt, but I thought it was rude and unprofessional of him to do so.  I needed to get back to Loomis Street to clean the fish I had caught.  I purposely parked in the first handicapped space to show them the problem I spoke of earlier. 

 

After about twenty minutes, Chief Barnett came down in a white SUV while I was still cleaning my fish.  He looked at the situation but did nothing, and even though he noticed me there, he would not talk with me.  I have noticed that the white-shirts of the beach patrol do seem to spend an awful lot of time in this area with their 4X4 vehicle when they are supposed to be keeping the beach safe. 

 

I don't see how ticketing a bunch of vacationing and resident boaters at the Loomis parking lot for imperfect parking is making our beach safer.  Except that maybe these boaters will think twice about coming to Ludington beach in the first place to launch (unless they are State police, Conservation Officers, or the like) for fear of getting $75 tickets for having a tire on the line or because you are being considerate to your fellow boaters. 

[AQUAMAN]

Very astute point Willy, quite correct. If we look at these parking space lines, it's obvious they are way too narrow for trailers for anything but the smallest boats. Big fish in August = bigger boaters, with more money to spend too, if it's for fishing/tourist related spending, not for nuisance tickets. Maybe the jokers that put the lines in should have special areas for smaller vs. bigger sized boat trailers too. Trailers vary from single axle to triple axle, and can vary in length from 16' to 40', so there is no "one size fits all" spacing. DUH!

[XLFD]

Some of the trailers I have seen could barely fit these spaces.  I don't know when they are scheduled to repaint the lines, but they may wish to consider widening these lines if they want to enforce proper parking skills, and definitely give the handicapped sticker boaters a wider berth for their vehicles. 

[AQUAMAN]

Most fisherman don't want to bother with fighting a nuisance ticket like this and will probably pay it. Big win for COL? I doubt that. But, if someone did take the time, take these pics. into court, I think the judge would have a hard time not siding with the receiver of the ticket. Reason is those lines are not "one size fits all", simply, and understandably. The authorities regulating this parking have to of thought this out, or did they? Again, I really doubt it! In the old days, word of mouth on this nuisance would take quite a while to get out there to others coming our way. These days with the internet communications, it's out there to literally thousands of fishermen right away, and they certainly are going to think twice about coming here now.

[Willy]

Good points Aquaman and X. If the City wanted to be fair about the decision to strictly enforce the trailer parking ordinance they could have put warning notices on the vehicles instead of tickets, in that way the word would get out without causing hard feelings. The decision to issue tickets instead of warnings is  why I think the City is  trying to raise some extra revenue.

[XLFD]

Warning tickets are the logical way to do things, Willy, and a point that Dave O. had made when I talked with him about this.  But what justice can you expect from a group of folks who take their ORVs across the beach and then ride through town with them, in clear violation of State and Local laws, but don't get ticketed because they wear a badge.  Badges don't grant extra rights

[David Organ]

Badges make a person head bigger but the brain is smaller

[XLFD]

I don't know about the dress shirts of the Hamlin Fire Department, but the Ludington Fire Department dress shirt came with a badge, so be careful what you infer regarding you and me.  Though it may apply...

For those who were unaware, before retiring and moving into the city of Ludington, David was the Hamlin Township Fire Chief for many years, transitioning that department into the well-trained, professional department it is now. 

[David Organ]

Maybe NOW They can afford paint to repaint the line bigger and so people can see the faded out lines with the bullsh-- tickets that they gave people but I payed with cash so it might go to there end year party or so they can buy more ticket books!!

[David Organ]

It's not WE the PEOPLE ramp it the city's place to waste tax payer time.just like when I saw chief Barnett reading the LDN on tax payer time behind HIS desk at his office!

[XLFD]

And you probably haven't heard about Chief Barnett using the police department's resources as a dating service for the privileged sons and daughters of our community, then justifying it as proper.  Check this out from last year regarding an event that took place in front of my humble abode.

http://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/forum/topics/ludington-police-chie...

[Willy]

I drove by the boat launch this morning and the parking lot was full. I noticed there were no tickets on vehicles as yet. One problem is that if the first trailer is parked over the line then the next trailer will have to park over the lne to avoid the other trailer. I saw a whole line of trailers over the lines. I hope the City uses common sense and leaves these people alone. Another thing is that this lot fills up during the "season" and all available spaces are taken so I hope the new west end Ludington st. project won't force the removal of parking spaces.

[XLFD]

If the West End Project ever gets funding, the Loomis parking lot is basically untouched, which has it's good and bad sides.  Extra parking for beach events, however, will be near the Coast Guard Station, making an awful long walk from the lot to the beach and requiring a lot of extra foot traffic thru the Loomis lot or on South Lakeshore side of the road, which will be a lot more travelled than it is now.