When the police park in the wrong spot

Recently, police conducted radar enforcement at the bottom of the Pomona Valley (John St., west of Bayview) next to the park entrance. The officer parked on the curb and sidewalk right beside the road and, when I was exiting the park, the cruiser completely blocked my view of approaching traffic from the left. If a collision had resulted as I was forced to slowly — but blindly — enter the roadway, that officer should be included in the collision report as “indirectly involved” for being the root cause of the crash. Basically, I feel the officer’s choice of location created a visual barrier and needlessly put the public at risk. York Regional Police Const. Andy Pattenden replies:

Speed enforcement often targets areas where citizens have expressed concern. There are times when those areas are difficult to position a cruiser to effectively monitor speed while being able to pull on to the roadway quickly to stop violators. Our officers are trained to position their vehicles in a place that’s safe for them and other road users.

We will address your concerns with officers in that area and ensure that they are positioning their vehicles in a manner that is safe for all. Eric Lai adds: Police did act on this matter. Subsequent to our inquiries, radar offi- cers at this location were seen to alter tactics to improve safety.

If Parking Control were to occupy a disabled spot while ticketing someone, would this outrageous action be legal because they can excuse themselves? Town of Richmond Hill spokesperson Libbi Hood replies:

We don’t encourage our staff to stop their vehicles in accessible parking spaces. When they do stop to investigate the need to issue a ticket, our staff are instructed to keep the vehicle in close proximity to the infraction site for access and safety. The vehicle is never left unattended as in a parking situation. Parking bylaw officers are always nearby and able to move their vehicle in the event of an emergency or to provide traffic access. Eric Lai adds:

Of course, the irony is that the enforcers excuse themselves for “temporary” illegal parking while ticketing others for the exact same thing. Regardless of whether it’s sanctioned or not, if Parking Control in any region chooses to occupy an accessible parking spot reserved for the disabled, public outrage and condemnation will follow. Rather than file a complaint, which many feel is futile, public shaming online is the likely outcome nowadays. Eric Lai’s Auto Know column appears each Saturday in Toronto Star Wheels. Email your nonmechanical questions to him at wheels@thestar.ca. For more Toronto Star Wheels stories, go to thestar.com/autos. To reach Wheels editor Norris McDonald email nmcdonald@thestar.ca.