Posted on 04/07/2008 11:28:44 AM PDT by JZelle
A program intended to catch D.C. residents who have not registered their cars also is netting motorists coming to the city to see friends or patronize clubs or restaurants.
"I thought this was an April Fools' joke," said Thomas Kollins, a 64-year-old Springfield resident who left a lounge in the city last month to find a warning notice on the windshield of his 2003 Toyota Camry. "I really did — because it's so absurd."
The Registration of Out of State Automobiles (ROSA) program looks for those who have not registered their cars with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) within the required 30-day period after moving into the city.
Sixteen parking enforcement officers patrol neighborhoods at night to find vehicles with out-of-state tags. When one is spotted, the officer enters the plate number into a mobile computer and revisits the site within 30 days.
If the vehicle is spotted a second time, the officer can issue a warning that states the vehicle is eligible for a ticket or impoundment unless the owner registers the vehicle or applies for an exemption. A third offense in the same area within 30 days can result in a $100 ticket or the vehicle being towed.
"When you move in you are required to have your car registered," said Linda Grant, spokeswoman for the Department of Public Works, which administers the program. "It's nothing more than that."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
They must've consulted Monty Python for that one.
Sounds like another fine program brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Department.
So what I am reading here is if I live out of state but visit the same person, or restaurant, or club several times within 30 days the District assumes I live there and am no doubt misrepresenting my residence to save $$$ on insurance or fees?
Gotta be something wrong with that.
Correct! The burden of proof is on you! Parking enforcement is one thing they do really well there.
Of course, this begs a whole other question...
“It’s nothing more than that.”
I expect nothing more from highly paid incompetents.
BTW, parking is really tight in DC. The fact you got the same spot twice within 30 days suggest you "know something" and that's suggestive of the sort of "street smarts" residents develop.
What if you are living in Virginia and you frequently visit friends in DC? This does not make sense? What if you live in VA and drive your car to work and/or to shop in DC? I used to do this all the time
I have no problem with that as long as I know before hand that they don't want me there spending my money.
I thank them for the warning. I will just spend my money elsewhere.
The article says a person can apply for an exemption.
You can get exemptions, but if you’re ticketed, you have to “prove” you’re just a visitor.
I remember years ago this was a big topic among the college interns where I worked (in Maryland). They often lived in the state 6 mo. to a year, so I guess they were supposed to register their cars. There were half a dozen or so apartment complexes which were routinely checked for out of state tags by the police, because they knew those places were where the interns typically rented. It was kind of joke among them as to who got ticketed, or where so-and-so was going to park his car this week to avoid detection.
You shouldn’t have to waste your time filing for an exemption if you don’t live there.
That’s the whole issue, a person shouldn’t have to take an hour or two out of their lives to make the Government happy.
True, but if your car is parked there frequently, perhaps you should.
Yet another reason for D.C. to be federalized. To eliminate almost all of the private vehicles traveling into and around the city, and replace them all with mass transit and limited VIP and emergency vehicles only.
D.C. today is best described as a “Woopoo”, “10 pounds of poop in a 5 pound bag”. By being too open to our citizenry, it actually keeps many of our citizens out.
Over the course of maybe 50 years, the federal government should buy up the land, replacing run down businesses and residences with leased businesses, seriously upgrade the infrastructure of the city, and create large open areas for government buildings, monuments and memorials, and parks for public gatherings and enjoyment.
When all is said and done, the workers and visitors can flow into and out of a much cleaner and street-crime free city optimized for assisted pedestrian travel. Heavily traveled areas might have automatic sidewalks, like in some airport concourses, and city security would be strongly enhanced.
Businesses catering to workers and visitors would still be there, as would hotels like the Watergate complex. The end result would be something like an adult oriented city designed by Disney corporation.
Most importantly, the idea is to in no way give us less of anything, but to expand and improve on what already exists. To do so is to raise the prestige of our nation, to honor our monuments and memorials, and to show respect for the citizenry that travel across the country, and visitors from around the world, who wish to see the world’s capital of freedom.
Indiana has expensive registration fees if your car is a newer model (10 year sliding scale - for a beater they’re actually reasonably priced). You see a LOT of out of state plates here, mostly on cars less than 5 yrs old.
The cops are way to busy handing out 25 dollar seat belt fines to worry about plates.
I haven't been to Georgetown in a couple of years, but I've had a secret spot there since the 70's. Never once have I needed to park and had it not be available.
$10, you tell me where. I promise to not reveal it.
There needs to be a lot more zeroes in that number. A LOT more.
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