Victim of abuse
This looked like an ordinary parking ticket.
Trivial enough.
Under the wiper, gracefully waiting for my trembling hand to remove it.
Yep. Trembling hand. I was sooooooooo upset.
I apparently parked in a prohibited space at a prohibited time.
I just could not fathom why, oh why, this happened to me !
After all, having lived in Montreal for many years, I am used to confusing parking signs.
But in this case… no sign at all.
I know… I should have been suspicious.
But hey… I really did not see anything.
I was so stunned I took a few pictures and even filmed my journey the next time I parked in the very same spot… at the right time.
Here they are for your enjoyment!!
And I decided right there, on the spot, to be a rebel ! I was not about to be intimidated by “the system”. There were NO signs in view. Oh, there was a sign on the next corner, but I could not see anything on their block.
I do not know about you readers, but I do not look for parking signs 3 km before arriving at my destination.
In any case, I filled in the “No guilty” check box and sent my rebellious reply to the City of Montreal.
I received my notice of the hearing last week, my second letter from our cherished town administration.
The first one was to inform me that, were I to admit my fault, I could pay them now… with a 40$ fee on top of my 40$ fine.
Of course, 40$ because I bothered to reply.
Well, no way!!!
I would fight to the death! I was right after all!
I received my second letter with a date for the formal hearing. 6 months from now.
And again that “offer” to pay up now and close the case.
Hey, good deal, no additional fee if I were to simply admit I was wrong… a gentle slap on the fingers, that’s all…
Pfff…. yeah right!!!
But then I saw IT.
An apparently innocuous brief article in La Presse, Montreal’s francophone newspaper. Basically a case similar to mine. And the lady won!
The judge created a precedent, saying that for the last 25 years “that parking tickets were classified as absolute liability offences, that is to say, against which it is impossible to present a defence”.
“It has ruled that we now classify parking tickets as strict liability offences. This change opens the door to the possibility that motorists have a defence of “due diligence” or demonstrate having taken all necessary precautions to avoid being in violation.”
So she won.
BUT….
“Does this judgment will stay? It opens the door to a tsunami of protests”, said the specialist who provides this kind of case could go to the Supreme Court.
So here I was reading my daily newspaper where we all read the daily newspaper. And I was scared s**tless… of all places to feel that way.
Ok. I am right about my case. I have photos to prove my due diligence.
Do I believe in the “system” enough to fight for this ?
No
The lady fought for 18 months.
Do I have time to fight for 80$ ?
No.
So here I was thinking about this and writing my latest blog post about refusing the abuses the system or our bosses impose on us.
And I decided to forfeit my right to be right.
Choosing one’s battles is important if one wants to win the war.
I cannot win this one.
But I can write about it.
The word is mightier than the sword.
Let’s see.
Help me with this by sharing this and the previous post.
Help me help us all!!
Big ideas can change the world.
V. Hugo said that nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.
It is time….
© Copyrighted material Aliter Concept 2016. Please do not print or copy without permission from the author.
BUT DO SHARE IT using the social network buttons !!
