If you start to rack up a pile of those bright-orange parking tickets while dashing around the city doing your holiday shopping, just donate a toy and all will be forgiven.
Mayor Thomas Menino announced the launch of the cities annual “Toys for Tickets” holiday program, which lets drivers who have received a parking violation on Boston’s streets between Dec. 5 and 9, resolve it by donating a toy to an underprivileged child.
“After putting food on the table and paying the bills, many parents and guardians don’t have the ability to buy toys,” the mayor said in a statement. “Unfortunately, this means that too many kids are missing out on the joys of the Holiday season.”
The wrapped toy must be of equal or greater value than the fine on the ticket, according to the mayor’s office.
Donations will be accepted from Dec. 8 thru Dec. 16 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the second floor of Boston City Hall.
Make sure you bring the receipt with the toy along with your ticket with you when you drop off the gift.
Last year the program donated $3,000 in toys to children.
Public safety violations that are excluded from this program are:
-Parking in the way of handicapped ramps;
-Parking in spots reserved for those with handicapped plates
-Blocking fire hydrants
-Parking in crosswalks
Double parking
-Parking less than 20 feet from an intersection
-Parking in a fire lane
-Parking in a no stopping and standing zone.
