Gray Area

Whilst driving around town, virtually speaking, looking for a suitable accommodation for visiting friends to spend a few days, I drove by an extended-stay hotel and saw this: an SUV parked between two No Parking signs and almost on top of a large No Parking notice written on the pavement.

 

This is so typical of some modern-day Americans. "Those signs don't apply to me—I have rights!" And if a fire truck damages her car, she would be the first to sue everyone: the city, the fire department, the hotel. "You can't tell me where to park! Help! I feel triggered!"

I don't lump all Americans into the same parking-violators basket. I wouldn't park in front of no parking signs unless I was having a bathroom emergency, and even then I would be prepared to accept the consequences. "How much is a no-parking fine?" I wondered. So I looked it up and in my city it is "not more than $200." In Norfolk, Virginia, a larger city just under 80 miles from my 'burg, the fine for violating the No Parking sign is $50. 

I think $50 is reasonable—it's like the city has reserved a parking space just for me and $50 is the fee to use it. On the other hand, can the city fine me for violating a No Parking sign that is located on private property? Are these signs merely a bluff? Maybe this woman is onto something. However, if you rob someone on private property, you've definitely broken the law, so maybe it's a gray area. I'm not a lawyer, so what do I know?