The Toronto Parking Authority

I was parked next to a sign stating that meters were enforced until 12pm but got a ticket at 6pm anyway. Unlike in my city, Toronto does not allow you to challenge tickets online but requires an in-​person visit. Because I was visiting from the US (where I have never gotten a ticket in decades) that means I will be unable to challenge the ticket even though I was clearly legally parked. Luckily, the ticket is not too expensive, but I feel dirty paying it because it is really more akin to a bribe extorted by a third-​world policeman than a legitimate legal fine.
My advice is not to visit Toronto, especially with a car. If you want to vacation somewhere without the rule of law, there are many more interesting places in the world to go.

I don’t get a Parking Ticket that often. The secret is just not even bother driving downtown.
I get pissed when I was just 3 minute over my paid time, I ran and ran and trying to get pay for more parking time… and then I saw a ticket on my windshield!!!
Are these people hiding in the corner… just waiting for my ticket to expire?
Why these people don’t go ticket those people that are park ILLEGALLY or even blocking others?

Terrible!!! I’m no law-​breaker and not some yahoo trying to get away with not paying for parking so perhaps you can understand my imense frusteration around the TWO tickets that I’ve gotten in Toronto. Both times I clearly read the signs posted and understood that I was allowed to park, without permit, at the hour that I parked there. Nonetheless I was issued tickets.
The first time I was out with a fellow Unilocaler and we both decided that parking was permitted where I left the car. Came back, went home, no drama. Until a few weeks later I received a letter in the mail saying I had to pay my ticket. What ticket?! Never got one… physically. But apparently my car was ticketed. Perhaps some looser walking by thought it would be funny to take it off. In any case, I paid it having nothing to back it up with.
Arguing is pointless in any case though.
Shortly after the above situation, I was back in Toronto to visit a friend. I usually park in the lot near his house but it was full so I found street parking permitted without permit before midnight. Around 11:45 I went to move my car to the lot but as I was coming down the street I noticed a spot and no signs to be seen. I parked, curious, got out and walked up and down the road looking for signage. According to what was posted, I could park. So imagine my surprise when I went out front for a cigarette 30 minutes later to see a ticket person issuing one! I ran up to him to plead my case. He told me it wasn’t him, that someone else issued the ticket and he was issuing one for the car in front of me and that he couldn’t do anything about it. He told me to contact the number on the ticket. So I did. I even took a bunch of pictures before leaving to prove my case. I contacted the number, emailed the photos, never got the name of an actual contact person but was just told too bad, pay it now or pay more later.
Because of this Authority I am detered from driving into the city, therby spending less on the city’s economy and parking. Imagine what would happen if these guys didnt power trip and actually did their jobs properly. From myself alone the city would gain hundreds, if not thousands of dollars per year. But no. Apparently they feel that screwing folks over to scam a few bucks now is worth loosing money in the long run. This office seems to be doing bad business. But oh well. I just spend my time an money outside of Toronto more often now. Their loss.

I wish I could give no stars! I think their strategy is to give out tickets first, and worry if there was an actual law broken later — the parking police are hoping these tickets are never disputed. I had an extremely visble flat tire. I threw my hazards on and got a ticket for parking in an alley. I am not sure how the parking police misunderstood that I pulled over to the side of a large alley to tend to my flat tire, not park! A flat tire with hazards lights I think is a dead giveaway. Now I need to spend my day treking downtown to disput this ticket, then wait for a court date, then go to court to show them the pictures of the tire, and the receipt for the repair so they can see that this is one really stupid ticket. I should sue the city for wasting my time.

These guys are relentless. I guess technically they should get 5 stars because they are so fast at giving you tickets, however this is getting 1 star because I am tired of these uneducated bumbs giving me tickets for breaking an imaginary law.