TRUCKED UP
My car gets ticketed every morning but I can’t park anywhere else – city makes thousands in fees & I can’t get a permit
One of the drivers who leave their car on the street where they know they'll be ticketed made a huge admission
A MAJOR US tourist city has issued a surprising number of tickets to food truck owners using a popular method to save parking spots.
The District of Columbia has been handing out thousands of dollars in parking citations to business owners that feed tourists who travel worldwide to see the Washington Monument.
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Lots of the food truck owners have used junk cars to save prime spots on the street in front of the National Mall overnight for years, local ABC News affiliate WJLA reported.
The long-time practice of the parking spot-saving technique means that business owners knowingly rack up serious parking fines.
A look at the D.C. DMV Pay Tickets website shows the number of parking citations given out to vehicles parked along 14th Street Northwest, right in front of the monument.
Most of the cars parked on that street were ticketed and some had multiple tickets from sitting there for days, according to Scott Taylor with WJLA.
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All of the citations were for the same safety violation as well - blocking traffic.
Because of the cars, two lanes of traffic end up being blocked on both sides of the street.
There are cars with massive amounts of fees on the street, including one vehicle with almost $6,000 in fines.
Just before lunchtime food truck vendors pull up to the area and switch out the illegally parked cars for food trucks.
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One of the food truck operators approached the WJLA news team and asked them if they had a "problem."
After Taylor introduced himself and his team, the same vendor insisted that he not be photographed - stressing that they couldn't take his picture.
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A few of the business owners weren't in agreement with the news team recording their daily routine, which is illegal in the state.
Taylor asked one of the food truck owners: "Why do you put out cars that just sit there forever and ever?"
"Not forever and ever," the food truck operator responded.
"I got tickets. I pay the tickets. I take tickets off my car. You know that. I pay my tickets."
Everything you need to know about parking
- Can I get two parking tickets in one day?
- Do I have to pay a private parking ticket?
- Can I be fined if your parking ticket falls off your dashboard?
- Is double parking illegal?
- How do I appeal a parking ticket?
- Can you park on double yellow lines on a Sunday?
- How can I report illegal parking?
- Can I reserve the parking space outside of my house?
- How close can I park to a dropped curb?
- Is parking free on bank holidays?
- Can I park on a single yellow line?
- Can I be fined for parking across two spaces?
- Can I use somebody else's parking ticket in a car park?
- Who is allowed to park on my driveway?
- Where can I park with a blue badge?
- Can I be fined if the ticket machine is not working?
- How close can I park to a junction?
- Am I allowed to park on grass verges?
Another vendor who didn't want to be identified admitted that they have to park illegally or risk losing business.
'IT WAS LOVELY'
Travelers from all over enjoy cuisine from the food trucks while visiting the National Mall.
"It’s not easy to find food around the mall," a Phoenix, Arizona resident who was in a large tourist group said.
"So it was lovely we could all come and decide what kind of cuisine we were interested in."
Read More on The US Sun
The wide variety of delicious food options for people who are sightseeing comes from the trucks parked along the street in front of the Washington Monument.
The District of Columbia did not immediately respond to The U.S. Sun's request for comment.