Specific question about Van Dorn station parking (legally, buses)
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I arrived at Van Dorn station today around 1:00pm and the "lot full" sign was not on (not that it ever is)... when I went in, the lot was very clearly full. I noticed there where 20+ cars with local tags parked in "no parking or standing" and "tow-away" zones at either ends of the rows and at the back of the lot, and since there was no attendant present to even let me exit without being charged for just circling around aimlessly I did the same thing, right behind another car. In addition to being charged, I also would have been late to work if I had driven to another station (this is the first time I've had a problem finding a spot in the afternoon hours and I moved to the area in October).
What is my risk of being ticketed/towed, and does that risk increase the later the car is left in the "spot"? I have plans tonight to stay in D.C. late; is it worth the time and effort to go back and move the car, then ride back in to the city, or will it probably be okay? I assume that there wouldn't have been so many other cars illegally parked if they all knew they were risking a ticket/tow... but maybe they are all planning on leaving the lot after rush hour(s). I'm not sure how frequently the lot is patrolled (I know it is in the morning, but do they come back in the evening at all?), and if it becomes "safe" to be parked illegally after a certain hour. If anyone can advise me, that would be great! I am stressing out big time over this.
I had the same dilemma when drove in to the West Falls Church metro garage - it was full and no warning. So instead of paying for nothing, I parked my vehicle in one of the corner spaces with yellow diagonal stripes, only to come back later in the afternoon and find a ticket issued by the Fairfax police on the windshield. Apparently, no one is allowed to park there even though no explicit sign is posted. I didn't think the FFX police had jurisdiction over the metro operated facilities, so I was intending to fight the ticket. But Virginia is so backwards that you can't bring your case by mail and have to appear in court to so. It wasn't worth to take time off my schedule and paid the damn ticket.
I had the same dilemma when drove in to the West Falls Church metro garage - it was full and no warning. So instead of paying for nothing, I parked my vehicle in one of the corner spaces with yellow diagonal stripes, only to come back later in the afternoon and find a ticket issued by the Fairfax police on the windshield. Apparently, no one is allowed to park there even though no explicit sign is posted. I didn't think the FFX police had jurisdiction over the metro operated facilities, so I was intending to fight the ticket. But Virginia is so backwards that you can't bring your case by mail and have to appear in court to so. It wasn't worth to take time off my schedule and paid the damn ticket.
You would have lost anyway. Diagonal solid yellow lines are always no-parking zones, and Fairfax County police are definitely going to have jurisdiction over a publicly-owned lot, regardless of who operates it.
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