The drivers insist they paid–the parking attendants insist they didn't! Frustrated commuters are now clamoring for justice–so our Hank Phillippi Ryan investigates.
It's the crack of dawn in the Quincy MBTA parking lot, commuters pick their spots, remember the number, then tuck their $3.00 into the corresponding slot in the meter box station and board the boat for Boston.
But the buzz here is what happens while they're gone. Some commuters who insist they paid for their parking say they are being unfairly hit with violation notices. The notices say there was no payment in the meter box and demand drivers pay again!
Tina"It's a situation that shouldn't be happening."
Our investigation found this battle is a continuing controversy–
Stephanie"I'm absolutely sure I have paid!"
Frustrated commuters in Quincy, Hingham, and Randolph/Holbrook–
Cindi"Every single day I park there I put my money in the slot."
Clamoring for help to prove they paid, when parking lot attendants say they didn't.
Cindi"There's a problem with the parking!"
The parking lots are owned by the T, but the 27,000 spaces in these and other lots are operated by LAZ parking.
And figures we obtained reveal LAZ gets 10 calls a day from angry parkers!
LAZ officials told me the problems stem from "human error."
Hank Phillippi Ryan"Your error? Or the parkers error?"
Marc Lutwack, LAZ Parking "It can go either way."
LAZ says they know who didn't pay, because every day they open the payment stations and snap a photo of which slots have money and which don't. The cars in spaces with empty boxes get violations.
Some commuters who complain, like Jen, are sent copies of those photos. But this is what LAZ sent to prove she hadn't paid, problem is, this photo is of the payment box is in the Hingham boat yard! Jen only ways parks here in the Quincy lot.
Hank Phillippi Ryan"When you saw this what did you think?"
Jen "You gotta be kidding me."
Another violation said Jen didn't pay for parking in spot number 502. This is the photo LAZ sent her to prove that and look: Someone from the parking company wrote "502" over what's obviously box number "302"!
After our inquiry, LAZ admitted they found more hundreds more slots where numbers on the front–did not correspond to the numbers inside.
Hank Phillippi Ryan"You have to admit that's confusing."
Marc Lutwack, LAZ Parking "It is and we understand it's confusing to the consumer."
LAZ insists the mismatched numbers did not cause violation mistakes, but now they're changing them.
Marc Lutwack, LAZ Parking "Once this was discovered, it was corrected immediately."
LAZ would not demonstrate how payment boxes work, they insist there's no way an attendant could remove money from an individual slot before the photos are taken. But we found many parkers don't push their money all the way in, leaving it easily accessible to anyone.
LAZ admits that after a complaint, they dismiss violations about one-third of the time.
If you wish to contact LAZ about a parking dispute you may email them at: mbta@lazparking.com or call them at: 781-794-1791.(Copyright (c) 2009 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)