Social media outcry adds suspicion to Norwalk man’s parking ticket anger

Signs on Belden Avenue.

NORWALK, Conn. — Norwalk parking ambassadors are not using an app that alerts them to expiring parking meters, Norwalk Director of Transportation, Mobility, and Parking James Travers said Wednesday.

Former Common Council member Manny Langella said he heard the claim Tuesday after publicizing his own parking ticket dismay on social media.

Langella was headed back to his car Sept. 14 because the ParkMobile App had notified him that his meter was expiring and was “literally on the app adding more time” when he saw a Norwalk Parking Authority officer “already issuing a ticket,” he said in an email to Mayor Harry Rilling. Langella waved and “stated that I was, ‘In process of adding time!’ They looked at me, waved back, all while continuing to slap the ticket on my windshield and ran to their vehicle and sped off.”

A parking ticket issued to Manny Langella. According to Norwalk Director of Transportation, Mobility, and Parking James Travers, the 9:05 a.m. time stamp indicates the moment the system alerted the LAZ parking agent to the expired meter, not the actual issuance of the ticket. (Contributed)

His time had expired at 9:04 a.m. and the ticket was written at 9:05 a.m., Langella said.

“This blew my mind,” Langella wrote. “I found it very hard to understand that this individual was able to locate the vehicle, run the plate, take a picture with their iPad, print the ticket, and place on my windshield in under 1 minute as well as beating me to replenishing time. I literally had a ticket issued faster than my ability to checkout and add time on the app on my iPhone. For the first time in a long time, I felt powerless and equally enraged (especially after he waved back at me knowing full well he ‘beat me to the punch’ like it was this some sort of contest for him.)”

Langella said he found it “deeply concerning” that his posts on Facebook and Instagram prompted many responses, both from Norwalkers and from other parts of the state. “There are claims that the NPA utilize an app that gives them a location of vehicles that are expiring as well as the amount of time remaining. There are claims that Small Businesses across the State are now entrenched in attempting to fight this.”

He also said he had tagged the NPA page, Mayor’s page, Norwalk support groups, and entire State Delegation and hadn’t gotten any replies. He hoped it had been a “system glitch” and “not an app that allows them to always be ‘in the right place at the right time’.”

Travers said:

“I do apologize for the inconvenience this parking ticket caused and understand that no one enjoys getting a parking citation.

“However, let me start by stating that parking enforcement officers do not have access to any system that alerts them to when a meter is expiring, or the location of a vehicle that is expiring, or the time remaining.  This is false.  Rather, they have a system in their vehicle that scans license plates and alerts them to vehicles that are in violation as they drive down the street.  But this only alerts them to vehicles that are in violation.

“I have researched this particular violation you’re referring to and the parking time did in-fact expire at 9:04AM as stated.  When the parking enforcement vehicle drove past this vehicle at 9:05AM, the system sent an alert of an expired parking session.  The parking enforcement officer issued the citation at 9:07AM.  Because the plate was first identified at 9:05AM, the system keeps the original time that the violation was captured.  Again, the parking enforcement officers do not know the length of time a vehicle is in violation, only that it is in violation. There was no ‘system glitch’.

“Furthermore, social media accounts such as Facebook and Instagram are not actively monitored for complaints.  If anyone is interested in contesting a citation the reverse side of the citation lists the procedures that should be followed.  It should be noted that ParkMobile sends an alert 15 minutes prior to a parking session ending to alert parkers to either return to the vehicle or to extend the parking session.  As unfortunate as parking citations are, in this case the meter was expired and the parker was sent a notification 15 minutes prior.”

Langella, in the email to Rilling, stressed that he wasn’t looking for help with an appeal. He isn’t one to “put on the tinfoil hat” but all the calls and comments suggested “there is something here,” and if not, the disinformation needed to be combatted.

When he was on the Council from 2019 to 2021, members pushed for a five-minute grace period, he said. Additionally, during COVID tickets weren’t issued and now that inflation has hit 9%, “I’d say now is a better time than ever to revisit.”

He also asked when the next Norwalk Parking Authority meeting is.

Travers said, “As it pertains to Norwalk Parking Authority Board meetings, all City Common Council, Boards, Commissions, and Authority meetings are posted on the City website.  You can locate them by visiting… https://apps.norwalkct.org/meetingboard    There is opportunity for public comment at the beginning of every meeting.”

Langella email to City Hall

On Thursday, Langella requested that his full email be posted. Though addressed to Rilling, he also copied Chief of Staff Laoise King and [email protected]

He said he hadn’t gotten any replies.

The email:

Hello Mayor Rilling,

Updated, 2:11 p.m.: More information.