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Parking tickets are now a freelance hazard in my town center

I got a $75 parking ticket last week while meeting a client at a cafe. The town quietly extended meter hours to include evenings, and I missed the new signs. That meeting ended up costing me more than I earned from the work. In my experience, always double-check parking rules before agreeing to local face-to-face meetings. Your mileage may vary, but here, they are really enforcing this now. I have talked to three other freelancers on my street who got similar fines. It is a small thing that can really hurt when money is tight. Maybe consider using video calls more or picking spots with free lots to save cash.

2 comments

2 Comments

williamo271mo ago

Oof, that's rough about the ticket eating into your earnings. Happened to me once when I was meeting a client and missed a new time limit sign. Totally get why you'd say to use video calls more now. These towns are getting aggressive with parking enforcement for sure. It's a brutal way to learn the hard way. Solidarity, freelancer to freelancer.

tara_chen541mo ago

But what if the parking rules are actually too loose? I've seen cars block fire hydrants for hours because nobody checks. Or that one guy who parks his work van in a two-hour spot all week, taking turns from actual customers. Sometimes you need someone walking around with a ticket pad just to keep basic order. A few tickets might be the only thing stopping total chaos.