So people who park illegally and get caught are victims now?

I am very disappointed in the quality of reporting here. since when did two years become three years? the decline has been over two years, not three! the word 'decline' describes the difference between an initial year and the following year in this case. so there have been two years -- 2009 to 2010 and 2010 to 2011 -- not three! in fact, this would make the information even more more compelling since the significant drop in tickets occurred in a shorter period of time. how can we expect our kids today to properly learn math when statistics in the paper are inaccurate. so disappointing.

REALLY???? Over the last 20 years or so, I have received maybe a dozen tickets. But in the last year or two, I have probably received twice that. Several on Newbury St where the signs that state where you can park are very misleading, and one for having an outdated sticker on my plate. I had renewed my registration but the state hadn't sent the new sticker yet; sorry they said at the appeal, you still have to pay $40. Was also ticketed and towed on Portland St, in another place where the sign indicated parking was OK, but had conflicting times on two signs. That cost close to $200 and again appeal was denied. You just can't win, and the bottom line is that you are probably better off paying $25 in a garage because you never know what they will get you for. My most recent ticket was for an inspection sticker one day past due, but no parking infraction.

WOW! There is absolutely nothing you will ever experience that can compare with the barracuda attitude of Cambridge city Meter Maids! The meter MAIDS hide behind the shrubs beside the food- pantry (a no-parking area in front of the building). The Meter Maids will ticket your car while you are carrying food into the building!!!! Both Harvard Sq. & Central Sq. post-offices rarely have an empty parking space so if you try to 'run' mail into the building for drop-off you can count on getting a ticket! The Meter Maids have been known to stand in the close vicinity watching for cars, and then run across the street while keying in your license plate number! Cambridge is probably paying the highest salaries for a City Manager, School Committee members and of course, Cambridge city councilors. On the other hand, tax income from technology industry is substantial.

Parking is one problem, but double parking by selfish and inconsiderate motorists can grind an entire area to a halt. Delivery trucks (why do we have loading zones that are prohibited to cars if the trucks can double park anywhere they want?) and the Starbucks and pizza purchasers double park on the city's busiest streets, like Huntingdon Ave, Newbury St, etc. Let's get that fine up to over $250 and go after that gang. That will keep the traffic moving. And, no, your four-way flashers are not a license to double-park.

The thing about Boston is that the Transportation Board wants to, as much as possible, frighten people away from the downtown. Its abusive stance is to ensure that more and more people don't make the mistake of parking in the wasp's nest of parking restrictions. Then among its many arsenals of weapons against drivers is he famed Denver Boot, which, in effect, clamps your vehicle in place until you pay up for unpaid tickets. The city doesn't have to demand payment through bill collectors as is true for the private sector. No, it can capture a $50,000 auto,for instance,in order to collect, say, a $50.00 unpaid fine. This, by the way,is confiscation of property without due process. But who cares, anymore, about our constitional rights? Certainly, not the City. The Boton Transporation Board is the snarling wolf scaring people away from our beautiful city.

I live in Boston and I cannot tell you how many times I have seen drivers block handicap spaces, crosswalks or fire hydrants - why is it about cars that turn normal people into selfish morons?