Dozens of cars were ticketed for blocking sidewalks throughout
the North Village on Thursday morning, but accounts differ as to
why the citations were issued en masse.
The Westwood neighborhood is characterized by its stack parking,
where multiple cars park end-to-end and often stick out of their
garages and into the sidewalk. Blocking the sidewalk violates
vehicle code, and offenders are subject to a $40 fine, but until
Thursday, residents say the law was seldom enforced.
Sam Bass was outside at 10:30 a.m. when he noticed that some of
the cars on his block ““ 514 Landfair ““ were peppered
with tickets.
“We were moving cars for trash pickup, and people noticed
that all of our cars that were sticking over a tiny bit got
tickets,” he said.
Bass, a fourth-year microbiology, immunology and molecular
genetics student, said a parking enforcement officer told him
UCLA’s Office for Students with Disabilities worked with the
Los Angeles Police Department to enforce the law more strictly.
But the director of OSD said her office had nothing to do with
it.
“It was a complete surprise to us,” said OSD
Director Kathy Molini. “I don’t know who asked that
this take place, but it wasn’t OSD.”
UCLA Parking Services was also unaware of the situation, she
said. Parking Services only issues tickets on UCLA property.
Sgt. Gordon Carpenter of Western Parking Enforcement ““ the
agency that issues tickets in the Westwood area ““ is the only
representative authorized to comment on the discrepancy. He was
unavailable for comment Thursday afternoon.