Parking rules enforcement

By Christy Marsters

The Hants Journal/NovanewsNow.com

Dave Bennett says he walks one speed and always moves in the same direction -- forward.

He had taken a job as Bylaw Enforcement Officer for Windsor a little over two years ago because he was retired but still wanted to keep busy. He is responsible for enforcing the town’s bylaws that relate to solid waste, snow removal, housing upkeep and parking.

And everyday – regardless of whether it’s sunny, snowing, blowing or raining -- Bennett can be seen strolling the streets of Windsor in his orange straps and steel-toed boots. Slowing his pace only in split seconds to mark a tire in chalk, to greet a person in passing on the sidewalk or to duck in from the cold. “It (walking) is part of the job… to make our self (the town) visible,” he said. “I don’t cover every street everyday… Windsor is a big area to cover,” Bennett said. “But, they, the community, know we’re around. And, they know what the rules are.”

Jan.6, Bennett began his morning, at 9 a.m., by marking tires of vehicles parked along Gerrish and Water streets.

He did this to see if the same vehicles would still be there two hours later, in violation of the parking time limit. And he also issued a ticket to a car that was parked an unsafe distance from the curb – more than over 150 millimetres, or six inches, away.

Fair, consistent

Fairness, common sense and consistency have to be considered before issuing any tickets, Bennett said. “I try to be a little bit reasonable...but it’s a requirement I enforce the laws.”

After walking about four blocks of Windsor’s downtown area, Bennett made his way up King Street, still looking for anything out of order, and carried on his traditional hike to the Fort Edward Mall. He went in the Mall long enough to chase out a chill before continuing a hike to Superstore. “When weather is good, I try to walk this trip twice a day,” he said.

When weather is poor, however, driving is easier sometimes, but either way this route is checked twice a day, Bennett said. “And, 70 per cent of the time I’m outdoors walking.”

Bennett said that, on average, he’ll spend about five to six hours a day out patrolling the streets of Windsor, and will walk about 10 to 13 kilometres a day, if the weather permits. Otherwise, he’ll still stroll about some amount but on bad days he’ll drive around more. “Mother Nature, she can be cruel or she can be kind. You dress for the job,” Bennett said. “However, you don’t put yourself in harm’s way. At times, it’s just not healthy to be out.”

As Bennett stood in the Superstore parking lot, issuing another ticket to a vehicle parked in the handicap zone without a permit, someone else was watching from a delivery truck. ‘All too often’

The man in the truck pulled up beside Bennett, rolled down his window, and shook his hand for issuing the ticket. “I’ve seen that all too often,” the man said, before driving off. “He caught me right off guard,” Bennett later said. “But, what he did -- that made my day.”

There is zero tolerance for people who park in handicap zones or on crosswalks, Bennett pointed out, but, in most cases, when there’s a problem it’s best to try to educate people to correct it. “Everybody forgets the rules sometimes and no one is perfect. But, most people in town, 99 per cent, are very cooperative… The greatest asset of this town is its people.”

As Bennett arrived back in downtown Windsor around 11:30 a.m., and he began checking for any tires, he’d marked at 9 a.m., but there were none. Before heading to lunch, he issued two more tickets to people who parked at a bus stop and within a ‘no parking’ area.

There was a period when giving out tickets to those parked at the bus stops would have been unreasonable to those who had been used to parking in these places for 30 years or more, Bennett said. “But, now you hardly see any of it (people parking at bus stops.)”

Bennett spent his afternoon, Jan.6, driving around looking for illegal dumping and at any other areas where residents had issued complaints. Ensuring that all was well in Windsor. “All and all people are very good…and I enjoy doing what I’m doing,” Bennett added. “I like the exercise … and meeting all the different types of people from every walk of life.”

Fact box: Ways to avoid a parking ticket (According to the Nova Scotia Motor Vehicle Act) -Do not park in areas with ‘no parking’ signs. -Do not park in areas designated for bus stops. -Do not park in a loading zone. -Do not park longer than permitted in areas with specified parking limits. -Do not park on a crosswalk. -Do not park within five metres of a fire hydrant. -Do not park within 10 metres of a stop sign. -Do not park within 7.5 metres of a corner. -Do not park on private property unless permitted. -Do not park on the wrong side of a street. -Do not park over 150 mm from any curb. -Do not park on a sidewalk. -Do not park in an area blocking a driveway. -Do not park and leave a vehicle left running. -Do not take up more than one parking space. -Do not park in a fire lane. -Do not park within five metres of a crosswalk. -Do not park in obstruction of snow removal. -Do not park in an area designated as a handicap zone without a permit.