Driver Caught By Surprise By Riverside's Overnight Parking Ban; Why Aren't There More Signs?
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A $50 ticket while parked in west suburban Riverside was so frustrating for one Chicago woman, she reached out to CBS 2 to prove she searched high and low before pulling into a spot, and still got dinged.
Morning Insider Lauren Victory takes us inside her fight.
La Shere Beason literally spun her wheels gathering evidence as she waits on the results of her fight against a common Chicago area frustration. After spending the night in Riverside, she found a $50 wakeup call on her dashboard.
"When I first saw it, it was like, 'Uh, I have all of my stickers, everything, tags, it's up to date, up to code, so why am I receiving this? What is this about?'" she said.
The problem was, she didn't move her car off the street before 2 a.m. Parking overnight is a ticketable offense in Riverside, plain and simple.
The village posts the overnight parking ban on its website, but Beason said she's parked on the street overnight in Riverside before without receiving a ticket.
"I had no reason to check the website, because like I said, I've parked here on a number of occasions, and I wasn't aware," she said.
Who's to say why traffic enforcement hit Beason with a ticket that night, but there are signs posted on some streets that could have prevented her headache.
CBS 2 found a sign that could have prevented Beason's headache, but only if she'd spotted one small square sign warning of the overnight parking ban, among seven total signs on two poles along the street.
"If I don't come this way, how would I know?" Beason wondered.
Riverside's village manager said new property owners are informed of the ban through a municipal guide. Landlords are supposed to tell renters about the ban, though the village manager noted in an email, "Some landlords seem to be less than forthcoming regarding details on parking."
When asked why overnight parking bans aren't posted on every street, the village said they're posted on the periphery of Riverside.
CBS 2 decided to spot check nearby suburbs with overnight parking restrictions.
Tinley Park alerts drivers as they turn off 80th Avenue. Miss it on the way in? Better hope whoever you are visiting knows the rules.
In Palos Hills, signs are also only posted at the beginning of streets, but there were more notices than in Riverside.
Ten other randomly chosen suburbs also spell out overnight parking bans online.
"It's a suburban thing, and I live in the city," Beason said. "We have different rules. I understand that you have to adhere and abide by certain rules, but if they're transparent then I can act accordingly or adjust myself for situations like this."
That didn't stop Beason from making the drive back to Riverside, if only to vent.
"I was frustrated. I'm like, $50? That's a lot of money. To some, it's not, but to me, it's a lot," she said.
Riverside's overnight parking ban is a product of the village's history. The village manager said Riverside's streets are narrow because it was designed before the invention of the automobile; and streets need to be empty overnight so police cars and fire trucks can fit.
Beason's appeal of her ticket is still pending.
