Guest MONT. CO TAXPAYER Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 As a Montgomery County Resident I am just about fed up with the over zealous parking meter nazi's in Downtown Bethesda. It is almost gotten to the point where it is not worth spending your hard earned money in the Restaurants and Bars anymore. Here is the exact scenerio I am talking about: You go out to a happy hour to have a couple of drinks. You put $5 in your meter for 2 hours of time and you head out to the bar. You realize 2 hours and 3 minutes later you need to put money in your meter. You have a $45 dollar ticket on your car. The meter nazi's have been camped out at your car just waiting for the exact second in time that it expires and they write you a ticket. These county employees are most likely on some sort of incentive plan to write tickets, there is no other explanation for their behaivor. Finally, at the end of the night, you have dumped $100 in a local establishment, spent $45 on a ticket, and then $20 on a taxi home so the OVER ZEALOUS Mo. Co Cops ( who should be fighting real crime) don't pull you over. Your grand total is $165. We live in a county the charges some of the highest property tax rates in the US and this is the thanks we get. Anybody else frustrated? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Raymond Jam Posted August 13, 2010 Report Share Posted August 13, 2010 HASTAM BIGTIME Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest W. Joe Posted August 22, 2010 Report Share Posted August 22, 2010 Frustrated too! I got a $45 ticket after dishing out over $400 on dining in Bethesda. A similar violation in DC is only $25. It seems ticketing in Bethesda is a real cash cow for the county. A colleague also informed me of receiving a ticket while dining in Bethesda. I live in DC and only agreed to dine in Bethesda at the urging of a friend. Here's the deal: restaurateurs more than their patrons know about the Nazi ticketing behavior, and should give patrons some type of heads up upon check-in. Be warned…Bethesda meter parking is in place until 10 PM, even on Saturdays! The county got me once…but never again. Long story short--I don't plan to dine in Bethesda anytime soon. Who really loses when you cut-off the revenue that feeds local businesses! Thanks Montgomery County for making sure I spend my dollars elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brett from Bethesda Posted October 26, 2010 Report Share Posted October 26, 2010 I have decided to quit eating in Bethesda altogether. Three minutes late to the meter for me and my wife's car so I have $90 in tickets. So heck of a job, meter Nazis. You get your money and Bethesda businesses lose thousands from us every year. I urge everyone to boycott Bethesda shops and restaurants from here on out. There is no way to have a leisurely good time in Bethesda anymore if you have a car. To hell with Bethesda. I am going to Rockville and Gaithersburg where they dont even have meters for most restaurants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Smart Parker Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Those parking meters are smart meters. They actually inform the meter-maid where to go to deliver the ticket. They sit in their cars waiting notification of an offender and the corresponding meter number/location. One minute late, and you better get to your car before they do; the race is on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bethesda Worker Posted December 15, 2010 Report Share Posted December 15, 2010 Those parking meters are smart meters. They actually inform the meter-maid where to go to deliver the ticket. They sit in their cars waiting notification of an offender and the corresponding meter number/location. One minute late, and you better get to your car before they do; the race is on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bethesda Worker Posted December 15, 2010 Report Share Posted December 15, 2010 Smart meters? Really? No wonder -- I work in Bethesda and have been seeing a chiropractor here off of Woodmont for a couple of months. I park at the garage off of Woodmont and Rugby. Today my meter expired just as I was crossing the lot to my car, and the meter guy beat me to it! I admit, I got upset and yelled at him for being a vulture. Seriously -- a $45 ticket for a just-expired meter? I guess I'll have to overfeed the meters again -- better to pay 50 cents extra than a $45 ticket. Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Little Debbie Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 At least the parking police aren't as bad as DC. They are writing you a ticket the second your meter expires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stan Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 I hate meters. I think they detract people from visiting Bethesda. They should be free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tamborine Man Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 I always forget to pay them. Then I get a big bill in the mail. They need to put a moratorium on charging people to see if they would get more business. At least be considerate to those enjoying spending their hard earned dollars now worrying whether their meter expired during Happy Hour. How many times has that happened to me I do not know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sally Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 Smart meters? Really? No wonder -- I work in Bethesda and have been seeing a chiropractor here off of Woodmont for a couple of months. I park at the garage off of Woodmont and Rugby. Today my meter expired just as I was crossing the lot to my car, and the meter guy beat me to it! I admit, I got upset and yelled at him for being a vulture. Seriously -- a $45 ticket for a just-expired meter? I guess I'll have to overfeed the meters again -- better to pay 50 cents extra than a $45 ticket. Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sally Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 Smart meters? Really? No wonder -- I work in Bethesda and have been seeing a chiropractor here off of Woodmont for a couple of months. I park at the garage off of Woodmont and Rugby. Today my meter expired just as I was crossing the lot to my car, and the meter guy beat me to it! I admit, I got upset and yelled at him for being a vulture. Seriously -- a $45 ticket for a just-expired meter? I guess I'll have to overfeed the meters again -- better to pay 50 cents extra than a $45 ticket. Sigh. Overfeed the metter, really works? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest John Pryor Posted June 21, 2011 Report Share Posted June 21, 2011 As a Montgomery County Resident I am just about fed up with the over zealous parking meter nazi's in Downtown Bethesda. It is almost gotten to the point where it is not worth spending your hard earned money in the Restaurants and Bars anymore. Here is the exact scenerio I am talking about: You go out to a happy hour to have a couple of drinks. You put $5 in your meter for 2 hours of time and you head out to the bar. You realize 2 hours and 3 minutes later you need to put money in your meter. You have a $45 dollar ticket on your car. The meter nazi's have been camped out at your car just waiting for the exact second in time that it expires and they write you a ticket. These county employees are most likely on some sort of incentive plan to write tickets, there is no other explanation for their behaivor. Finally, at the end of the night, you have dumped $100 in a local establishment, spent $45 on a ticket, and then $20 on a taxi home so the OVER ZEALOUS Mo. Co Cops ( who should be fighting real crime) don't pull you over. Your grand total is $165. We live in a county the charges some of the highest property tax rates in the US and this is the thanks we get. Anybody else frustrated? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daemon Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 I hate meters. I think they detract people from visiting Bethesda. They should be free. Completely agree. This is, cell phone spyware in fact, a real problem. +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest aftermath Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 I just got a $90 ticket from the parking man or woman who probably didn't get hugged enough as a child. I hope they like doing what they do because they should be banned from society for being a troglodyte. Who give's a $90 parking ticket, i'm really confused? Is rich Bethesda really hurting for dollars so badly that they need to suppliment the taxes by giving outragous tickets? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Moira Steinberg Posted August 15, 2012 Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 I've never been in a town that is this zealous on parking tickets. I avoid Bethesda businesses now because the risk of me paying an extra $40 for anything I do there is too great. It effects the way I think of that town. I was even thinking of moving to Bethesda before I had this experience with their parking tickets. No way I'll do that now. Thanks for supplying a forum for this frustration! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Michael Grant Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 I used to like going into Bethesda to meet friends for dinner or drinks. But with the overzealous parking enforcement along with $45 tickets, I avoid going to Bethesda altogether. I'd rather hang out in Rockville or Gaithersburg where I can relax and not have to worry about a meter running out. Keep it up Bethesda, you are just discouraging more people patronizing your restaurants and shops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim williams Posted September 5, 2012 Report Share Posted September 5, 2012 What I find funny, Speed camera tickets in montgomery county are only $40 (regardless of speed) and their expired meter tickets are $45. So its cheaper to speed then to put in one less quarter in the meter? wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Unhappy at Bethesda Posted December 21, 2012 Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 I couldn't agree more. Does Bethesda have nothing better to do with its employees than to send them out to descend and issues tickets tor every tiny violation ? How much revenue does it raise by preying upon people simply trying to patronize its businesses? I have come to HATE Bethesda for this reason, for the for the horrendous traffic and long lines, and for all its pretentions and pretentious people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Walt Posted December 29, 2012 Report Share Posted December 29, 2012 Just curious, So my wife and I were traveling threw Bethesda, and stopped the other day to try a resturant. My wife accidentally feed the meter for the spot next to us, in her defense the meter's in the parking lot were on the lines and not in front of the car. So to our surprise when we came out from dinner there was a 45 dollar parking violation on our window. My question is how receptive would they be to us calling them to explain the situation? and are there any enforceable penalties on us since we are SC residents, I doubt they will come to SC to boot my car, but has anyone heard of them coming after out of staters? It's not that i'm against paying it, but I have a problem with this very clear form of your county government adding additional taxes on residents and visitors. 45 dollars for a parking violation!? really? need money much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Carol Posted March 30, 2013 Report Share Posted March 30, 2013 I did the same thing as your wife, Walt. I'm going to request a court date, I guess. It's also inconvenient that Montgomery County does not allow for you to contest a ticket by mail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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