Tickets

There is always an adjustment period when you move to a new city. Among other things, transportation and parking have been issues that have taken me a while to adjust to. 

I never have really driven in a major city before (downtown WPB dosen't count). Besides the hectic traffic, bikers, and one way streets, I had to get used to concept of parking meters and street cleaning. I had been exposed to these things in Boston but never had to deal with them on a daily basis since I didn't drive. Thus far, I have received over $200 worth of parking tickets. Some for legit violations and some for really stupid reasons. I got $50 parking ticket for sleeping through street cleaning at 8AM (legit), a $60 parking ticket for parking in a residential parking zone (semi legit; there were no spots left!!!) and a $50 ticket for not turning my tires to the curb when I was parked on a hill (RIDICULOUS). I understand that the meter maid wants my car to hit the curb should it ever be bumped, but $50 dollars. Really? I have an E brake for a reason and the hill wasn't even that steep.

Aside from the parking tickets, I have had a bad experience with the CalTrain, which is the commuter rail that serves all the Bay Area. During the first week of my temp job at Stanford, I used the CalTrain to get to and from work. I bought a weekly pass that gave me ten rides on the train. On the ticket there are ten empty spaces that are used for stamping the date and time for each ride. Before you get on the train, you are supposed to get your ticket validated at this machine that stamps the ride time.

Towards the end of my first week, I forgot to get my ticket validated for my ride home. The Stanford shuttle bus that takes me to the CalTrain was running behind and it arrived at the station just as the train was pulling up so I didn't have time to get my ticket validated before getting on. So when the attendants came to check tickets I had to explain what happened. I guess she was having a bad day (or she didn't like me) and starting getting sassy and condescending. She was preaching up a storm saying that I need to be more responsible and that she was no way of knowing if I paid or not. Mind you that this train is headed back to SF and is packed with people. All eyes were on me and the sassy conductor for a good fifteen minutes. 

After the lecture ended, she finally issued me a ticket. I just assumed that I would have to pay the the price of a one way ticket or even the price of a day pass. NO! I got a letter in the mail saying that I owed $200. I know!! Get over yourself CalTrain. Could you be even more unreasonable with your prices? I mean that amount is completely disproportionate to the offense. The ticket displays the dates it is valid for (five days in total) and I don't think anyone is going to take the CalTrain more than twice in one work day. 

My public transportation "initiation" took off to a rocky start but hopefully this will be the end to my tickets.

I hate you CalTrain!