Comments on: Religious People in Toronto Don’t Have to Pay Parking Tickets

By: CFI Ontario – now with free parking! | Terahertz

CFI Ontario – now with free parking! | Terahertz — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:10:37 +0000

[...] (h/t Friendly Atheist) [...]

By: Gauldar

Gauldar — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:28:27 +0000

@freddy

Great list! I agree, there is no way you can talk to Christopher Hitchens without ending up with a Scotch in you hand within 5 minutes into the conversation with him.

By: Not Guilty

Not Guilty — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:11:29 +0000

This blasphemy against Toronto is going to see you all in hell! Other wise known as Calgary, Alberta, the Texas of Canada.

By: False Prophet

False Prophet — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 04:23:36 +0000

You can also get out of a ticket if you're "confused". Well, I'm always confused anytime I have to go into Toronto (e.g., why does our biggest city have North America's crappiest subway system?). I avoid those times, because Toronto Sucks. (Of course, that song is by guys from Edmonton, Canada's dullest city.)

By: Not Guilty

Not Guilty — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 23:52:23 +0000

@JT excellent deduction! Though Alan Thicke isn’t a hockey player. Well, I’m sure he played at one point in his life, but that isn’t why he’s “famous”

@Owl700 this has nothing to do with a law. It is merely one of a list of unofficial exemptions that city councillors will grant to people who get a parking ticket. The others, such as if they live 100km away and make a silly mistake, are really just a courtesy. But obviously I don’t appreciate that one of the courtesy exceptions is granted to religious people who think it’s okay to park where they please.

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:40:13 +0000

As an atheist and a Torontonian, it doesn’t bother me that religious types can get free parking for their worship. Unofficial exceptions are made for lots of community-type events and I guess worship counts. No big deal unless one wishes to argue against subsidizing automobiles. I do want to argue, but I digress.

What does get under my skin is the unnecessary bureacracy that must be in place to 1) establish the exemption policy and 2) process the exemptions. Especially given my experience in downtown Toronto, where police just ignore parking infractions on Sunday morning.

Annoying yes, but I don’t care enough about such a minor thing to give it much thought. I guess I will just have to wait for an Atheist politician to hold a city-wide debate about the merits of this exemption.

… maybe I won’t hold my breath.

By: Veritas

Veritas — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:38:40 +0000

I’m going to email Bobby Henderson right now and ask for a note excusing me from parking fines.

By: Lynaka

Lynaka — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:41:02 +0000

“I’m far less offended than I thought I would be (based on the headline.) I have lost a little respect for Canada though.”

Yes, thank you for assuming that Toronto is the be-all of Canada. One large city in the east does not a country make.

Many cities have old by-laws on their books that make absolutely no sense today. As a Canadian this story doesn’t even bother me because no sane person would uphold it here. It has no weight.

By: Thiago

Thiago — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:40:38 +0000

That’s not surprising.. We have all sorts of excuses to not pay the tix… I was once assited by the cop who gave us the ticket on how to sucessfully protest on cort.. and I have to admit, we’ve done as he said and didn’t have to pay..

By: Owl700

Owl700 — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:31:12 +0000

Oh, and just for you, Peregrine:
In Hartland New Brunswick you are not allowed to make jokes about people with mustaches. Unless that person or persons first name begins with the letter “A” and last name begins with the letter “N”.

Cheers, eh!