FALL SWEEPS: A Street Sweeping and Parking Enforcement Investigation

[mistysworld6]

another reason to hate LA

[HollywoodHotel]

HA! BS and lies from city officials are not news. There should be a report on how the so-called street cleaners do nothing but move the dirt around, not clean. Where does this money go? The roads are full of holes and these otherwise unemployable morons who drive around in their little white chariots seem to think they own the streets. This city is disgusting.

[onizukajwb]

Wow. Just wow. These guys are slimy bottom feeder crooks that have zero integrity. When I lived downtown, I have personally witnessed parking enforcement officers parked in a loading zone and in front of a mail drop box while they were taking a break getting lunch at an outside cafe. This is outrageous, but doesn't surprise me when this city is absolutely one of the most politically corrupt in the U.S.

[ylen13]

Good for them giving those tickets. They should start towing any vehicle that gotten 2 ticket or more in a month. That will generate even more revenue.

[VoodooPolitico]

If there was a serial killer, that was blowing the faces off of these slimey meter maids with a shotgun, I would buy that guy a slice of pie and agood cup of coffee. I would thank him for doing gods work. This city is FUCKED, the corrupt LADOT and its scumbag meter maids are stealing from the tax paying citizens. When it falls apart further, when it hits THAT point, people arent going to put up with it anymore.

[KurtDaFlirt88]

I've been having trouble with Parking Enforcement corruption in Hollywood. PLEASE SEE MY VIDEO. I would appreciate help and advice from anyone.

[justcallmeassinine]

@KurtDaFlirt88 In most cities in SoCal it is done weekly.Its not necessary.It is waste and poses a big inconvenience for many. i have never seen the streets get trashy.But my city continues while cutting back on teachers.What a scam.

[VoodooPolitico]

@KurtDaFlirt88 I just watched your vid. Paid the ticket didnt ya? Didnt have any choice did ya? Tried to contest it and didnt get anywhere didnt ya? There is NOTHING we can do about it. Ive tried to contest 2 tickets that were total bullshit. You cant talk directly to anyone. No judge. NOBODY. Just fill out the form and you'll hear from us. When you do hear from them, its telling you to pay the ticket anyways. Ive never met ANYBODY that has ever "won" a contested ticket.

[neoxzero2]

Street cleaning is a legalized scam. If you believe otherwise, you're an idiot. The streets should be cleaned twice a year, not twice a month. They use your fear of the law against you, and convince you there is a good reason to steal money from the poor.

[VoodooPolitico]

@neoxzero2 You just not live in LA. LA is filled with filthy immigrants who dont think twice about throwing their trash into the street. The streets are FILTHY. YES, they NEED to be cleaned at least once a week.

[MeterMaidsSuck]

I Like!

[HenryChinaski405]

JOHN SIPONY? (sp)? This fucking COCKSUCKER sit there and looked directly at the reporter and said EVERY STREEP IS SWEPT WEEKLY. When told that the reporter documented streets NOT being swept, he had allll kinds of investigations. WHAT A FUCKING ASSHOLE. All I know, is for every parking ticket I got, the City has paid TEN TIMES what they charged me. Ive made sure of that.

[HenryChinaski405]

@HenryChinaski405 IM SORRY...this video pissed me off so much I cant even say what I wanted to...I meant to say that when John Sipony, was told that the interviewer documented that street sweeping was NOT being done, this COCKSUCKER had all sorts of EXCUSES. Yet the tickets still keep being issued. Somebody needs to repay the citizens.

[swanty32e]

In Oslo, Norway we post roadworks signs for a specific day (period monday-friday), and after they have cleaned the streets, the signs will be removed....The sweeping is only in the spring, because it must be clean until our national day.....

[Zalza818]

Cuz cars are parked at the spot when street sweepers come , the cars move and u can see the dert , if I was a street sweeper and I see the street full of cars every time I pass be I would say FUCK THAT STREET AND NEVER GO BACK

[kris98166]

to get out of paying your parking tickets transfer it in someone elses name

[battleship62]

A friend of mine works for Los Angeles Dept of Water and Power and got a 550.00 ticket for parking 3ft into a red zone in a city vehicle on official business. Thats how hardup the city is for money.

[kommievision]

some streets are 3hours, which is kind of odd since they are always near the tourist trap areas of the city. also, why is the ticket so high? santa monica parking violations are nothing compared to los angeles.

[reggierice4745]

You have a real future in journalism if you keep it up! no even the tv stations have this kind of work ... thanks for such an awesome story, my friends arre catching this all the time now!!

[Ztime101]

Its a racket! Get used to it (I did) cause its only been going on about 40 years...........

[zackcamo225]

just like sydney city council its all about the bonuses at the end of the year i use to work there i know!

[MrSimon510]

hell yeah parking enforcement are one of the most useless and hate law enforcement divisions out there....just today i got ticketed on a non-sweeping day.....wtf, did the person think it was the wrong week or something?....shit useless becuz the streets are still dirty and cops only looks out for their own.

[Jonsbk]

My cousin is in LA, just a student struggling to get by, but she suffers $100s every month for BS "street-sweeping" & other fines- and no sweeping! Even worse, now the authorities give fines even for cars parked in driveways- which in the congested streets around campus, have always jutted a bit out into the street.

WTF? If California's so "progressive" then why hit the poor students so hard? Plenty of rich Californians, but it's much easier to steal from broke, defenseless students instead.

[Wilbur665]

Typical city BS - same thing in SF when I lived there.

[mdschrad]

Another update: For the second Thursday in a row, and as I mentioned on the KNBC Channel 4 News in one of the Video Responses, the City failed to sweep 24th Street altogether. The Thursday side of the street has not been swept in more than two weeks now. Please continue spreading the word, as the City Council looks into this further.

[Avidare30]

Sure, if the sweeper does not sweep on a posted day and time, then there should be no fine. But In the video I saw no evidence that the trash in the gutter was there at the end of the time specified on the signs. For all we know the video was taken just before the sweeper came, or even as the sweeper was on the street.

As for the parking enforcement car parked there, was it on the sweeping day and hours? prove it to me. Also prove it was no there on bussiness ofsome type.

[slurshee115]

All of the times are on the timecode of when the video was taken. There's your proof. If anyone were to investigate the validity of this piece then they'd be able to see that.

Also, you may want to restate your last sentence because I don't think anyone knows what you're trying to say.

[Avidare30]

I watched the video again, and saw no time codes at all. My last sentece, I was asking for proof the parking enforcement car was there on sweeping day and hours, and that there was not some kind of related bussiness, of some type, like writing cites, contacting a citizen regarding a complaint, perhaps it had broke down. Also where i he proof it ws there an hour? Again I saw no time code, a camera can be set o any day and time, including a future date and time.

[mdschrad]

Avidare30,

I can assure you, as video and many others with which I've spoken (much the inspiration for this story, in fact), the streets are not swept. I spent nearly two months watching these streets, and I invite you to do the same and see for yourself.

I chose not to use a timecode because it requires digital manipulation of the video to insert. But you'll find the empty streets portrayed are an oddity in the parking congestion of South L.A. Again, you're welcome to check up on it yourself.

[Avidare30]

Just being critical, as I have seen streets in other cities, that have posted sweeping areas, where the streets looked very dirty, lots of trash etc. Just before the sweeper passed.

[ShapeWriting]

Parking "cops" are morons who failed in life and took a job stealing from people on behalf of a greedy, broken, and lazy municipality. There are many other jobs that they could've taken but they actually took this one. Most of them have major personality problems and have a vendetta against the rest of us who actually have a thought of direction in our lives. Parking "cops" are the most hated people on earth, more than Al Qaeda.

[mdschrad]

Just a followup for everyone: On the first Thursday since this video aired, the City failed to sweep 24th Street ... again.

[ek42fak]

Very nice video. However the Traffic Officer's are not responsible for the sweeper, they are responsible for enforcing the signs. No one likes a ticket. Then read the signs!!!!!! If the signs are read and followed then one would never see a Traffic Officer. GOOD JOB GUYS. The average person in LA could not do your JOB.

[miroshala81]

good comment... what people don't realize is that if you don't give them a reason to give you a ticket, then they won't give you one... it's not rocket science.... THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT!!!!

[lorenwhite]

The parking enforcer should only enforce if the reason he is hired to enforce is being carried out.

There should be a line of communication on where the officer should enforce that day based on where the street cleaning will be taking place. If the cleaner and officer both know that they will not be cleaning a certain street (using our tax dollars) then they should not enforce, It's counter intuitive.

[lorenwhite]

I'd be happy to pay the ticket, if they would clean the street every tuesday, 12-2. However, if they only plan on cleaning once a month.. then change the signs to once a month 12-2.

[beloit22]

If we change the signs to "once a month"

Then your complaint will be, "Cars park here and never move, why dont u do something about it!?"

Think a little further, before you bitch.

[mdschrad]

Beloit22,

That would not be my complaint at all, if the City was in fact doing what it SAID it were doing. The problem right now is that they aren't, and they're benefiting from citizens' money.

I've asked politely for an interview for a follow-up piece of mine, as you are a parking enforcement officer. You declined the interview request altogether. Please, if you aren't willing to put your money where your mouth is, please don't comment with these bitter remarks.

[connorfabiano]

i hate street cleaning

[connorfabiano]

your voice sounds so sexy!

[lorenwhite]

got a ticket for this the other day... and of course... no sweeper... ever.. on that street.

[ax2groin]

Question is doesn't address: Is it legal to ticket after the street sweeper has passed, and do they? It was definitely an issue when I lived in a neighborhood with tight parking, yet it was clear that the sweeper had already come and gone.

[beloit22]

Yes, It is legal to cite vehicles after the sweeper has passed. The bottom line, is were Enforcing the "Posted" signs as "Miroshala81" stated.....

ITS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!!

READ & COMPLY with the signs/paint

and you wont even notice us!

[InventorKnight]

Wow, this is so clear, what a good report about how motorists are being screwed by the system.

[photoman4you]

Great community service video.

Well done!

[kevinbrueck]

This video = awesome!!! I wish that every single meter maid in the city of Los Angeles would get robbed/pick-pocketed at least once or twice a week of exactly $60:) Then they'd know what it feels like.

[connorfabiano]

amen

[BAXTERHOUSE]

Thank you for bringing this to light! I've noticed that they sweep my street on average once a month, which is 25% of what they are supposed to do!

[reggierice4745]

awesome! i'm glad someone's tacklng the big government problems! this is so stupid how they rip us off by lying to us and they raised ticket prices too. coincidence?

[drainedpool]

Why are these public sector employees paid more than minimum wage, let alone a generous pension? Seriously, could you imagine any of these slugs surviving in a for-profit enterprise? This is why California and it's municipalities are insolvent.

[drainedpool]

^^^ should be "its".

[beloit22]

Your Grammar is'nt the problem.......

It's your "Mindset" thats wrong.

[lorenwhite]

People move their cars on streets that don't have street cleaning. So yes, I thought before I bitched...

Parking is already enough of a problem in LA, at least have some of it available more often if possible.

Bottom line is that the city knows it is a great source of revenue.

[petuniafrazier]

Great video! Mismanagement at its finest!