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Drivers Are Most Likely To Get Parking Tickets In These LA Neighborhoods

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Parking tickets are an all-too-common occurrence in the city of Los Angeles.

The top three reasons drivers are receiving tickets are street cleaning, expired meters, and parking in red zones.

According to the City Controller's Office, parking fines were expected to have brought in about $140 million of the city's nearly $10 billion budget recently.

Most of the tickets were said to be distributed in the following areas:

  • Downtown L.A.
  • Hollywood
  • Westlake District
  • Sawtelle
  • Venice

Edgar Pelaez works for Meals on Wheels delivering food to seniors and says his job involves driving to some of the parking ticket hot spots in Los Angeles.

"For the simplest things, we get tickets," said Pelaez.

According to data from L.A. City Hall and the Department of Transportation, citations have dipped about 13% during the first seven months of this year compared with the same time in 2018.

"They're fast. The moment your meter goes off.  They're there and they're making sure they're ticketing you," said Koreatown resident Megan Miller.

Parking tickets also serve a public purpose by keeping spots clear for first responders.

"Every place is designated for either an ambulance, or pick-up, or drop-off. There's not enough parking places around here," Downtown resident Jonathan Biagini said.

Pelaez says Meals on Wheels runs two-person teams as a way to avoid citations.

"Usually if we can't find parking, one of us has to stay and watch for officers and if they come by we have to move, drive around,  wait for the guy to come back."

When it comes to parking tickets, even non-profits are not afforded any charity.

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