♪ ♪
>> This is "Marketplace".
The first ever national
ticket trap take-down.
>> They're just getting
a cash grab and it's
happening day and day.
>> Undercover in the
underground.
>> Request to move locations.
>> Parking attendants caught
ripping you off.
>> You're not going to pay it.
>> No, definitely not.
>> You can take this ticket and
throw it in the garbage.
>> And high tech ways
to make you pay.
>> Possibly a city where you
can't get away without
paying for parking.
>> You can still do it,
but I would tell you that
is a hard game to play.
>> This is your "Marketplace".
With over 23 million cars on the
road, more than ever before
parking enforcement has become
big business.
No national survey of parking
tickets has ever been done, so
 "Marketplace" digs up data on
more than 15 million tickets,
mostly made public
for the first time.
We crunch the numbers
and come up with Canada's
worst ticket traps.
>> First up, Winnipeg, where our
data shows they have the highest
fines in the country.
>> There's the ticket there.
>> Brian McKay is taking us on a
tour you won't want to miss.
>> You'll be able to tag the
vehicle because people didn't
read the sign properly.
>> His job, handing out parking
fines for the past five years,
but this week he quit,
fed up with people
getting unfair tickets.
>> I said, are you kidding me?
You don't tag there, do you?
>> He's going to reveal how you
can get tricked into getting
tagged with a pricey ticket.
First stop,
the exchange district.
>> Here's the sign.
Tells me for two hours I can
park between 8 a.m.
and 1730 hours.
So I can park here.
>> No, that will get
you a ticket.
>> But the sign says
I can park there.
>> But you'll be too close to
the fire hydrant.
>> The bylaw says you have
to be three metres from
the fire hydrant but both
signs on either side say
you can park in between.
Confused yet? We sure are.
>> The signs are so close
together that if you park two
cars there, both of them
are going to be in violation.
>> The data shows $23,000
in fines were given
out last year
in this spot alone.
This sounds like
a bureaucrat's dream.
>> I got tired of it.
♪ ♪
>> Brian also got tired of this
next ticket trap, one of the
worst he's ever seen.
>> Oh, yeah, it's something I
never issued any tickets for,
because I didn't believe it.
It's just something I go,
that's not fair.
>> Kasha Buchman doesn't think
this spot's fair either.
She works with youth in crisis.
One day she's called to
the health centre, parks her
car, pays for parking
and heads across the street.
But when she comes back,
before her time expires.
>> Had five minutes left,
and I still got a ticket.
>> A $35 parking ticket,
70 if she doesn't pay
within 15 days,
for something surprising.
>> For parking within three
metres of an unmarked crosswalk
which is definitely
not a crosswalk.
>> That's it right
behind you there.
>> Correct.
>> Where is the crosswalk, I
can't see it.
>> There is though crosswalk.
>> Can we go down there
and have a look?
♪ ♪
>> So you were parked
right here.
>> I was actually parked
a little bit farther right over
here where the sign says
that I can park.
>> And that sign says
>> That you can park
behind the sign.
>> See what happens
when we cross.
♪ ♪
>> Nobody is stopping for us.
♪ ♪
What do you think?
>> It's not a crosswalk.
[Laughter]
>> It isn't at all.
No.
Used to be somebody's old
driveway.
They should just move the sign
over the three metres, and that
would have saved everybody a lot
of trouble.
>> Why don't they?
>> I think they're just -- it's
a cash grab.
That's what basically it is,
it's a cash grab.
>> In fact, our data shows this
side of the street is the third
most ticketed in the city.
In just one year, over $96,000
in fines.
♪ ♪
>> Veteran defence lawyer John
Weingust has spent part of his
long career challenging the
legality of parking tickets.
At 86, he's still defending
people in court.
>> Parking should be regulated.
It should not be used for the
purpose of revenue.
>> The data shows here in the
city of Toronto, $100 million
in parking fines are
given out every year.
247 tickets are issued
every hour.
>> The city says that basically
they issue these parking
tickets to, quote, ensure
safe traffic flow.
>> Oh, that's nonsense.
>> Why?
>> Because safe traffic flow
has nothing to do with parking.
>> If I park, you know,
blocking rush hour
that's got to be a
traffic flow issue.
>> That's right, rush hour is
a regulation, you can't park
during rush hour.
>> So it's just about
gouging people you think.
>> They're gouging the
motorists, absolutely.
>> Over $100 million a
year in revenue, nothing
to sneeze at.
>> That's right and they're not
going to give that up.
>> Toronto is not alone.
Get this. Our data tells us
that Halifax has the cheapest
fines but Haligonians get more
tickets per resident
than anywhere else in Canada.
Back in Winnipeg, the data
reveals that ticket traps Brian
shows us are also some of the
most ticketed spots in the city.
Like this third trap on Gary
Street.
Over $30,000 in fines were given
out here last year.
We catch Kim about to pay to
park.
>> Can you park here?
>> I think I can, yeah.
It looks like I can.
>> Shouldn't the signs tell you.
>> The signs should tell me.
>> So what does this sign tell
Kim?
>> This means, I think, there's
no parking, but it's loading,
and this means that I am good to
park here for up to two hours.
>> Look behind you.
>> But there's a fire hydrant.
>> Where is the loading zone
then?
>> You can't load technically.
>> It says you can.
>> Oh, it's a conspiracy.
>> Conspiracy? She may be
on to something. Brian says he
flagged these ticket traps to
the city including the infamous
ghost crosswalk.
>> I said this is kind of
unfair, maybe somebody should do
a sign report and have it moved
back, because it's just
something that's not right.
♪ ♪
>> These drivers don't think
it's right either.
Today they're out warning other
motorists not to park here.
>> They've been handing them out
for decades right there, and
it's time that it ended.
>> So why won't the city
fix it's confusing signs?
Armed with our list of ticket
traps, I meet up with the
Winnipeg parking authority's
manager of compliance and
regulations, Ryan Arabsky.
>> We talked to a gentleman who
recently resigned.
He says despite his letting the
parking authority know about
these problems, nothing is done.
Why is that?
>> Well, I quite disagree with
that.
In three years we've sent off
546 signage deficiencies to
public works to address.
>> Tens of thousands of dollars
every year the city rakes in in
revenue off that crosswalk.
Why don't they change it?
>> As all signage issues that
get brought to our attention,
we will definitely look into it.
>> People call it a bait trap.
Do you agree with that term?
>> No, I actually don't.
There definitely might be areas
where we issue more tickets, but
that's because of high demand
and the convenience of that
particular parking spot.
>> Well, apparently it's not too
convenient for a lot of people
who get tickets. They park
there, the sign is very clear.
You can park up to the post, yet
they still get tickets for this,
I call it a ghost crosswalk.
Is that fair? I mean...
>> No, it is a curb cut-out,
and it is definitely
a walkway.
>> This isn't a revenue grab?
>> This is not a revenue grab
whatsoever, no.
>> But only a few weeks after
our interview, a small victory
for Winnipeg motorists.
They do move that sign.
Ammunition for Kasha's
next battle, which just happens
to fall on her birthday.
>> I have a feeling you're not
going to let this go, are you?
>> No, I will go to court
on my birthday to fight
this $35 ticket.
>> Need some help
with your parking battle?
>> We've got lots of ticket
traps and tricks to reveal about
your city on Facebook, like in
Vancouver where $32 million in
fines were handed out last year,
and guess where one of the most
ticketed spots is?
>> Here on the same block as a
parking authority office.
The parking wars heat up.
>> The way they conduct their
business, we're going to give
you to a collections agency then
tow your car.
>> When not to pay that ticket.
Sign up for our newsletter
at cbc.ca/marketplace.
>> The real deal
on parking fines.
On your "Marketplace."
♪ ♪
>> We're on a stakeout in this
underground parking garage in
Mississauga, Ontario.
>> Here he comes.
>> Investigating the big
business of parking enforcement
in Canada.
>> Do you want us to move
locations to get more of them?
>> Is there something
underhanded going on in the
underground?
We'll find out in a sec.
But first, Ralitza Shopova
and her father Val Assenov
are parking mad.
Val's a software engineer in
Mississauga, Ontario.
A couple of months ago he has a
job interview, so he parks his
car in this Toronto parking lot,
and pays for parking until the
end of the day to be safe, but
when he comes out
just an hour later...
>> I was so surprised to see
this receipt tucked in here, and
I say what the hell,
I already pay.
>> A $69.75 ticket for failing
to display valid receipt.
Val says he did display his
receipt.
>> I did everything right.
I have my receipt here.
>> But this ticket isn't from
the city.
It says "Precise ParkLink", a
private parking company paid by
the property owner to install
and maintain the machines, and
patrol the lot.
>> Precise ParkLink.
I don't know what is precise.
>> It's not just cities after
your parking dollars.
Big private companies like
Precise ParkLink are cashing in
too.
Processing over $600 million a
year in transactions, it's one
of the largest in Canada.
Why $69.75? Precise says that's
the penalty per day if you don't
purchase parking from the meter.
>> Current status.
>> Val e-mails them a photo
of his paid receipt.
But his dispute is denied.
Why?
Because he failed to pay their
$10 disputing fee.
Nothing on his ticket about a
dispute fee.
Then Val starts getting letters
threatening to send his ticket
to collections.
[Phone rings]
>> Val's daughter Ralitza
helps him out by giving
Precise a call.
>> Parking relations, how may
I help you.
>> He paid for a full day,
$8, and now we're getting a
$69.75 for a parking
-- a parking ticket,
which is ridiculous.
>> Okay.
I'm looking at the photos that
our patroller took, and there is
no receipt on the dash.
>> We've never received such
pictures.
>> Okay, if you'd like I can
send that to you right now.
>> Okay, that would be great.
And what will happen
if we don't pay it?
>> It will go to a collection
agency, and then they have the
authority to tow your vehicle.
>> Oh, to tow our vehicle.
Do they even have authority to
tow a car?
>> No way.
>> Ralitza and Val wait to
receive the e-mail with the
photos.
>> Is that your car?
>> Yeah.
And ticket is exactly behind
this ticket.
>> Val says look closely, and
you can actually see the edge of
his receipt displayed on the
dashboard.
>> The way they conduct their
business, we're going to give
you to a collection's agency
and then tow your car?
Well, you want to instill fear.
That's not right.
Imagine how many people -- like,
we're not the first ones that
it's happened to.
>> She's right.
We find complaint after
complaint from across the
country.
Including David Leo in Vancouver
who gets a letter out of the
blue from Precise demanding $100
for a three year old ticket
he says he's never seen.
They threaten to leave
a mark on my credit
rating unless I settle the
ticket with them, he writes.
We want to see how fair
Precise ParkLink is at giving
out tickets, so we stake out
some of their lots.
These Precise officers seem to
be issuing tickets fairly.
But at this underground lot in
Mississauga, Ontario...
..watch as this Precise patrol
officer, who we learn is also a
supervisor, makes his way around
the lot giving out multiple
tickets.
After he's gone, we check it
out, and see he's actually
tagged two cars with a second
ticket.
Another Precise patrol officer
has already tagged these cars
earlier in the day.
So now they each show $140.
Twice the penalty Precise says
they'll charge per day if you
don't pay.
Around the corner, the same
Precise supervisor tags Yola
Daly's car.
>> It's not nice.
>> An unfair ticket because she
did the right thing and
registered her plate.
>> You come down --
>> You come to park and you get
a ticket.
>> But Yola's going to fight
back.
>> So you're not going
to pay it.
>> Oh, no, definitely not,
definitely not, no, no, no, no,
>> We contact Precise ParkLink
to talk about these and other
unfair tickets they've issued,
including Val's, but they
decline our invitation
to come on camera.
So time to get help from
parking ticket defender,
lawyer John Weingust.
>> Nice meeting you.
>> It would appear that this is
not really a parking ticket, not
a valid parking ticket.
But what they're doing is trying
to get a judgment against you
without even going to court.
>> So the parking ticket alone
is a judge and jury basically
you're saying.
>> That's right.
This is what they do, they fool
people by putting in a parking
invoice as they call it, okay,
and they're entitled to do
whatever they like.
However, my respectful opinion
is that you can take
this ticket and throw
it in the garbage.
>> How do you guys
feel about that?
>> I can't wrap my mind around
what they're doing and so many
people are falling for this.
>> So unless Precise ParkLink
takes these guys to court.
>> It wouldn't pay them to
do that, to go after
each individual who hasn't
paid their parking fine.
>> So all these private parking
tickets floating around Canada
right now, are any of these
private parking tickets
enforceable?
>> No.
>> But can an unpaid private
ticket still affect your credit
rating?
Equifax Canada tells us, it does
not accept parking ticket fines
from collection agencies.
And some good news for Yola.
Her ticket's now been voided.
So next time you get an unfair
private parking ticket, you'll
know what to do.
♪ ♪
>> It's man versus the machine.
>> How long were you stopped
for?
>> I don't even think it would
have been eight seconds.
>> Spy cars coming to a street
near you.
Got a story you think we should
investigate? E-mail us at
marketplace@cbc.ca.
>> The ticket trap takedown
continues on your "Marketplace".
♪ ♪
>> For the first time ever
 "Marketplace" is crunching the
data.
Millions of parking tickets
across Canada, when something
different about Calgary catches
our eye.
♪ ♪
>> Could this be the future of
parking enforcement in Canada?
>> Start.
>> Photo enforcement vehicles
like this one are now being used
to catch parking violators,
camera cars driving around
taking pictures of every parked
vehicle and its licence plate.
>> Here's the start of
a zone here.
>> ParkPlus patrol officer Josh
Saundergard used to only give
out tickets on foot.
>> Car can go faster than
anyone can walk, so it's much
quicker, much more efficient.
>> How efficient?
According to the data,
Calgary's six camera cars help
give out more than 91,000
parking fines a year.
There's no escape.
If you haven't paid for parking
in Calgary, they'll likely know
about it.
>> Are people a bit more
cautious now when they come
downtown?
>> People are very much aware
that we're here.
So there's fairly good
compliance down here.
>> At the end of every shift,
officers bring their vehicles
here, plug them in and all those
photos get uploaded into the
Park Authority's database.
These workers are checking those
photos to see if payment was
made.
Hundreds of tickets are then
printed out every morning, and
mailed out to unsuspecting
motorists.
Nancy Chaisson is a ParkPlus
enforcement supervisor.
>> What we're looking for
is payment.
>> We want to make sure that
at the time we scan this
vehicle, that there's
payment that's going
to cover that time frame.
>> What does it look like
in this one?
>> This customer has paid
from 10:27 until 14:27.
We took their photo twice.
We took it at 14:43 and we took
it again at 15:01. So we allow
you time to get to the pay
machines or activate your
cell phone account.
>> However, this one is quite
far out. It's approximately
20 minutes.
So at that point we're going to
issue a parking ticket, and move
on to the next one.
>> Forget the days when you
could talk your way out of a
ticket, and there's chatter
about that.
This man complains he gets a
ticket pulling over to make a
phone call, car still running.
I felt like I was doing the
right thing, he writes.
>> So we've heard stories about
people pulling over to make
a phone call.
Camera car drives by and they
get a ticket.
>> The bylaw requires once you
park your car in a ParkPlus zone
or a payment required zone, you
are required to make payment.
>> It's as simple as that.
>> Simple as that.
>> Just like the time Steve
pulls over on this downtown
street to pick up his wife.
>> And as I pulled in, the
ParkPlus vehicle, camera
vehicle, was right behind me.
>> How long were you stopped
for?
>> I don't even think it would
have been eight seconds. It was
a very short period of time.
>> A couple of weeks later he
gets a $40 ticket in the mail,
75 if he doesn't pay within 30
days.
>> Takes the objectivity out of
a parking enforcement agent's
job.
They have a lot of discretion
built into what they do, and
when you're just taking pictures
of people's licence plates, I
don't feel like you're ever
getting the full story in a
one second glimpse.
♪ ♪
>> I head to City Hall to put
that to Calgary's mayor,
Naheed Nenshi.
>> The number of people I've had
call me in six years in this job
saying that, you know, I was
pulled over or I was dropping
someone off and I got a ticket,
I can count on one hand.
And that's out of hundreds of
thousands of violations.
>> But would you honestly expect
someone to call the mayor's
office over a...
>> Oh they call me about
everything. Try being the Mayor.
I know about skunks,
I know about dog's poop
from a neighbour.
>> People stopping to drop
someone off, do we really
expect them to pay for
eight seconds of parking?
>> No, of course not. That is
the one challenge.
But usually those are really
easy to contest.
>> Not so easy for Steve.
When he calls ParkPlus to
dispute his ticket...
>> They said there's no
difference between stopping
and parking in our eyes.
>> Steve's told he can't
contest it, and will have to
take it to court.
He pays the fine, feeling it's
not worth the cost of missing a
day's work.
Nearly $7 million in fines were
issued last year, with the help
of the camera cars.
So now more cities are realizing
the benefits.
Edmonton, Saskatoon, Whistler,
Waterloo, Ontario, and
Westmount, Quebec, are all
starting to use them too.
But while Canada may be
expanding, the U.K. has actually
banned the use of camera cars
for parking enforcement, calling
them a clear abuse of CCTV,
which should be used to catch
criminals and not as a cash cow.
>> The U.K. is getting rid of
this technology, why is Calgary
embracing it?
>> It's a bit odd that they
would say, I can take a picture
of every single thing you do,
I know where you walk, I know
where you go, I know where you
eat, I know where you use
a public washroom, but I don't
know your licence plate number.
>> But they use it to catch
muggers, you know, terrorism,
national security issues.
You're using it to catch people
who may not have fed the meter.
>> Precisely. That is exactly
right, we're using it to catch
people who didn't feed
the meter.
>> This is more than just
compliance. It's also a
business model, isn't it?
>> Well, you know, the selling
it is absolutely a business
model and I would love to be
able to make some real revenue
off of licensing this into new
cities in China, for example.
In terms of the actual tickets,
I much prefer to get the money
from people paying for the
parking.
>> Are municipalities like
Calgary addicted to this revenue
though?
>> We're not addicted to it,
but it is a helpful way of
keeping property taxes down.
It cements Calgary's reputation
as an innovative city, a city of
high technology and is a city
that is focused on citizen
services and frankly that is
the incredibly positive feedback
I've gotten from it
everywhere we've tested it.
>> And possibly a city where you
can't get away without paying
for parking.
>> You can still do it, but I
would tell you that is
a hard game to play.
>> Steve doesn't think he's
lost just yet.
Now when he needs just to pull
over for a minute or two, he's
going low tech to avoid a high
tech ticket trap.
Next week on "Marketplace",
are you ready for this trip?
>> Never would have imagined
that I would be smoking
marijuana on national TV.
>> Not your dad's pot.
>> The stuff that we're using
today which is readily available
and used by many people.
>> Is much stronger.
>> We're about to legalize a
substance that we just do not
have enough data on.
>> What's in today's super weed?
>> After smoking that kind of
marijuana, the psychosis would
come on immediately.
♪ ♪
