REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - On Dec. 15 at the mayor and commissioners meeting, city officials decided to move forward with increasing the fine for drivers who parallel park incorrectly.
The parking department says it sees a lot of drivers parallel park with the back of the car facing the front of the spot. The city explained it is concerned about the safety risks parallel parking in the wrong direction could lead to. Originally, the fine was 15 dollars, and the parking department recommended increasing it to 30 dollars, but city officials agreed 50 dollars would be more affective.
Chad Miller, who own Pet Wants in downtown Rehoboth, says this is a safety matter that needs to be taken more seriously.
"I think that's a good idea because I think it's a safety hazard just as the city mentioned," explained Miller. "I do sometimes see where the cars are facing the opposite direction of the flow of traffic so I do think it's a good idea for the city to do that."
Other locals feel the increased fine is unnecessary, and there are other parking issues that need to be taken care of first.
"There are so many fines and they're already exorbitant, and I think people are really upset," said Cheryl Belluci, who works at Khalsa Jewelers in Rehoboth Beach. "My customers are always complaining, they can't fine parking, it has been a nightmare for the last few years, and we have to do something because there's more people coming into Rehoboth. "
The city said at the last meeting it hopes the increased fine will encourage people to park properly.