Popeye's chicken is not, after all, an excuse to park illegally during rush hour. Even if -- especially if -- the parked vehicle is a D.C. Parking Enforcement van.
But that's just what News4's cameras captured during Tuesday afternoon's rush hour on Wisconsin Avenue near Tenley Circle.
The Parking Enforcement van first parked in the far right lane of Wisconsin near a PNC bank, where the driver was seen visiting an ATM. The far right lane is marked no parking or stopping during rush hour.
Then the van parked in the far right lane again about a block later, and the driver was seen visiting a Popeye's restaurant. He left with a bag of food.
D.C. is known for aggressively enforcing parking rules; each year, the District issues about 2 million tickets a year and collects $90 million in fines.
Wednesday, News4 spoke to a driver who had been issued a $30 ticket for briefly parking illegally in front of a McDonald's. "I just ran into McDonalds to get a cup of ice," said the driver, holding his parking ticket.
City rules say that government workers can park illegally only if their government work is urgent. Those same regulations say the employees are not exempt from parking rules.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
After seeing News4's video of the illegally parked Parking Enforcement van, the Department of Public Works issued a statement:
"The Department of Public Works is investigating the issue and will use this inquiry as an opportunity to remind all 237 parking enforcement officers to carry out their duties responsibly," read the statement from Linda Grant, public information officer for the department.
