Woodbine cul-de-sac residents want parking bylaw relaxed

People living in a cul-de-sac in Woodbine woke up to a nasty surprise on their windshields Thursday morning.

Some 25 tickets were handed out by enforcement officers under the cover of darkness for violating a little known bylaw requiring cars to parallel park unless signs say otherwise.

"I'm not paying. I'm going to court," said Martin Morett, who lives in one of 20 homes on Woodmont Green S.W.

"The way we were parked is the way we've always parked."

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Calgary Parking Authority says the bylaw isn't usually acted on in cul-de-sacs, unless someone calls in a specific complaint.

"My first reaction was doesn't anyone use common sense any more. It's working well for everyone so I don't really know what the problem is." saidMaureen Popiolik.

"I think they should relax it otherwise half the people in this cul-de-sac will not be able to park outside their house or even on this street."

Popiolik says parking any other way in a cul-de-sac just doesn't make sense.

Another person who doesn't think the bylaw makes any sense is Coun.Sean Chu, who's working to have it relaxed.

"Look on Google and check out any cul-de-sac in Calgary. Everyone's angle parking because it's common sense for people to do it, and that's why I want to change the law," saidChu.