Dan Greding was installing a roadside parking sign warning motorists of a 75-minute parking limit when a Santa Barbara cop gave him a ticket for parking for more than 75 minutes. “I said, ‘But I’m putting these signs up,'” Greding told KEYT. “And [the officer] says, ‘Then you should know you can’t park here more than 75 minutes.’ I said, ‘Well, I haven’t put the sign up yet, so you can’t write me a ticket.'” He fought the ticket and lost. He’s appealing.
Greding: “But I’m putting these signs up [and therefore (1) the law is not yet effective as to this block, or (2) I cannot yet have had adequate notice of said law, or possibly (3) as a sign installer, I am immune from any regulation on a sign I am installing].”
Officer: “Then you should know you can’t park here more than 75 minutes [because (1) ignorance of the law is no excuse, (2) the sign refutes your claim of inadequate notice, or possibly (3) there’s no such immunity, and in fact as a sign installer you are estopped from claiming ignorance of the law on the sign you are installing].”
Greding: “Well, I haven’t put the sign up yet, so you can’t write me a ticket. [In this case ignorance is an excuse, and you have no evidence I actually looked at this sign. Although that may be a reasonable assumption for a sign that has been posted, this one has not.]”
Officer: “But the signs down there say, ‘this block,’ so you’re in violation. [Even if I accepted your argument as to this sign, it wouldn’t matter because there are other signs on this block, and as you just admitted it is reasonable to assume you looked at those.]”
Greding: “[That was Underhill’s statement, not an “admission” by me, as its enclosure in brackets demonstrates. And in any event,] I just put those up 20 minutes ago! [Therefore, even if you were correct, I have not violated the 75-minute rule those signs articulate.]”
Officer: [Tell it to the judge.]
Sign Installer Cited for Violating Rule on the Sign He Was Installing [Kevin Underhill/Lowering the Bar]
(Image: Fira, Santorini-Greece April 2010, Lee Cannon, CC-BY-SA)