I just received a notice for unpaid parking citation from the Santa Cruz Port District. I go WTF, I always pay for my parking there. There's a big kicker to all this, but I run through the more obvious so that you guys can give me feedback
It says - 405 Illegal Launch Ramp Parking. Not sure what they mean by this. Is it for not paying to launch my Kayak or for blocking the ramp with my car? The harbor people are usually pretty nice and they ask you to pay up if they think you are not going to. The time of citation is 11:25 AM  Obviously people aren't launching then. Would they ticket a car simply because it has a kayak rack on it?

All of this is just food for conversation, because here comes the kicker, the date is 09/25/14. Not only had I not fished Santa Cruz   since the Sept 7th Tourney, the 25th is a Thursday - a workday.
I can prove I worked in Redwood City that day. However this is a real hassle
Yes I'll call the harbor and contest the ticket with the processing Center. Just wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them

Hmmm!  Let us know what happens? 


otobepelagic is that even legal????

I'm sorry to hear that Kirk. Very strange with the date thing.

since the tsunami the harbor has changed a lot. With the new Port Director seeing increased revenue in the nickle-and-dime approach, plus being swayed by the owners of the pricey boats in the lower harbor, all of the 'friendly things" have been slowly removed. From firing the union dredge crew to charging for the previously free human powered vessel launch ramps to making the entire harbor a no-fishing zone.
kinda just breaks my heart.
I used to fish & paddle out of the harbor many times each year, especially in winter for training. I've been there once with a kayak in 2014 and I expect that's all I'll see of it.

*end rant*

looks like just a hint of reasonable doubt as to tix propriety lol.  WTF with these wacky tix?!

Replied with documentation from H.R. dept. that showed time at work. Citation dropped.

Alex

The time of citation is 11:25 AM  Obviously people aren't launching then.

I have....that's my preferred launch time outta Santa Cruz, gentleman's hours.   

Every spot in that lot is assigned for some type of use, boat/trailer, berths, restaurant, timed public use etc.  I've seen the lot attendants ask people to not park in the boat/trailer parking spaces if they didn't have a trailer. They get alot of people wandering over from the beach and restaurants, even with a rack you still look like every other beach goer on the weeklend so I doubt you were singled out. I think they're just trying to keep the place orderly.  That may be the cited reason on the ticket.

Whether its right or wrong if everyone is paying the same fee.....I'll just say, use of the harbor, the adjacent beach, the jetty and kayak/sup launching has gone WAY UP since I first started launching there as a kid.  It used to be just a bunch of crusty old fisherman in the am then the cocktail party patrons at the crow's nest in the afternoon, now everybody and their mama is there hangin out, which can be good or bad depending on your tolerance of crowds.  I can appreciate that they are able to keep it orderly.  Since I'm not a crack of dawn kinda of guy lately I still have to park at the overflow lot and wait for the shuttle but even when its crowded I can still get my boat out and wash it down relatively pain free.

Regarding the ticket....if the dates don't match up, I'd fight it.   

Replied with documentation from H.R. dept. that showed time at work. Citation dropped.

Alex

Alex
To clarify, you had this same problem and that's how you cleared it up ???

Luis

Wasn't there that day. If they somehow got the date wrong, I always park  in auto only spots not trailer spots.

Looking at the Pay address which is in Newport Beach, I thought this might be a fraud, but it appears that almost everybody does their processing through a center there.
Filed an appeal online. The online service only allows  for the attachment of one piece of documentation, so I  attached my workday records for that week.  I also snail mailed a letter, plus the work records, plus Fastrack records which show me going to work.

Skunkasaurus
Yes, it could be argued someone else was driving. If they don't buy that I was at work, I don't think that they would buy that I don't have a PB and that my 5' 1" wife, who can't swim and doesn't kayak would drive and hour to a harbor, with my three year old (who's a runner and allergic to fish) in tow, to do a solo launch.  .
In that case I might need a good lawyer    Do you do pro-bono work? 

"if the plates don't fit, you must acquit"

In 2011, $an Franci$co Dept of Parking and Traffic i$$ued tix totaling 142 million in fine$.  beleeeeve dat $$$$hit?  (I accounted for a $ubstantial number of tho$e lol)

Wonder what Santa Cruz or Capitola pulls wit dey $hady practice$