Parking a squad-car in a fire lane.....for coffee?

[E Pluribus Unum]

This whole thing comes down to perception. Parking in a red zone looks bad. Parking in a yellow loading zone also looks bad. I once received a parking ticket from SF DPT on my marked Sheriff's Unit for parking in a yellow zone while serving papers.

I bet that meter maid got fired... that took some balls!

That being said "serving papers" is not an emergency. It's not even exclusively a LEA task. Can I park in a yellow zone if I'm serving papers? If a LEO is serving papers, that is not a time sensitive thing like serving warrants, et cetera. LEOs should park and walk like the rest of us have to, but I think you agree with that.

Parking in red zones should be frowned upon, institutionally. However, I see no problem with it at shopping malls, with the wide lanes and red zone completely around the buildings, usually.

Unless I am misunderstanding the purpose of a red zone... I thought they were placed in areas where access to the area by a fire engine would be blocked by the presence of a vehicle. If this is the case, the risk is the same whether it is a police vehicle, or a private vehicle: there is a fire, and the engine cannot get there to put it out.

If the road is wide enough that the presence of a patrol car can in no way impede the access of a fire engine, then there should not be a red curb anyway.

I will not, however, take criticism from a firefighter over parking.
.

Even if you deserve it?

[serpicoish]

More rationalization

I would agree save for one problem: You'll never know the reason or for it being done. I'll go back to my original argument and state that getting coffee is not a necessity, it's a luxury. You can't lead by breaking the rules. All of this drivel over coffee. I mean, come on. It's just ridiculous. We weren't given the right to park that way for coffee, or donuts or anything else of a personal nature.

Serpicoish,

To some extent, sure. But I also don't begrudge them some leeway either. Their job is different than many other jobs. I know that if he's stopped in that firelane and getting a coffee in starbucks, it's likely it is his first chance all shift to make a brief stop for some go-juice.

I've also seen an officer park in a fire lane and come out and load six carry-out trays around 7 in the morning. Not to supply the office, but because they'd been working a barricaded suspect nearby since 3am. He was coming on-shift, I found out later, so his first assignment was to bring the graveyard guys some coffee.

I'm willing to cut them some slack on something like this as long as it's not abused.

[djack12]

My brother is a firefighter and told me this:
What do firefighters and cops have in common? They both wanted to be firefighters.

That's funny....Don't you know that God made Police Officers because Fire Fighters need heroes too?

Back on topic...I will park in a red zone if there is not a regular spot close. Remember some are marked "Fire Lanes" and others are marked for emergency vehicles. Police cars are emergency vehicle. I try and not do it when there is a regular space available.