When the city of Detroit obnoxiously gave $150 tickets to drivers who unwittingly parked in unmarked handicap spots, a pizzeria owner across the street thought it was outrageous. The problem was, there was only one handicap sign for four parking spots, according to AP, and nothing else to indicate the spots were off limits for everyone else. The pizzeria owner said a lot of the "tricked" drivers, as he put it, were his own customers, and even he accidentally got one of the high-price tickets, as he told ClickonDetroit. So, after getting "attitude" about it from city workers, he took the matter in his own hands (literally) and bought $200 worth of paint to slather a very wide, very blue, four-car-long line on the street, alongside the sidewalk, that no driver could miss. A bit of an eyesore, yes, but someone had to do it!
From AP:
"People come to Detroit, try to support our city and walk away with a $150 ticket, and they feel like they were tricked into it and they kind of were tricked into it," said Tony Sacco, co-owner of Mootz Pizzeria and Bar.
There is a single sign along the Library Street curb indicating that parking is reserved for drivers with a handicap tag. But Sacco said it's confusing because parking enforcers consider the street space reserved for as many as four vehicles. He wants drivers to be warned.
"I mentioned it to the people writing the tickets. I said, 'People don't understand this is handicapped,' and they said, 'That's their problem. They should read the sign,'" Sacco said. "That was the attitude."
The TV coverage and the blue paint got the city's attention Wednesday. Public works director Ron Brundidge apologized for any confusion and acknowledged that the "signage could have been more clear." He said sign changes are planned and the paint will be removed.
