Seattle police will have to tow or ticket RVs once ‘safe lots’ open, Dave says

It would arguably be inhuman to ticket and/or tow someone living in an RV when they have nowhere else to go. But when the RV “safe lots” open in Seattle, KIRO Radio’s Dave Ross says police will have to start enforcing the city’s parking laws.

“Once there’s an alternative to parking in the streets they need to start ticketing the parking in the streets,” Dave said.

Related: Council member defends Seattle’s homeless RV plan

Dave believes the people who are actually trying to get back on their feet, or simply need a safe place to sleep, will live in the sites in Ballard and Delridge. People who are trying to “hide out” are going to continue living on the streets, Dave says.

“At that point, the cops are going to have to ticket them and enforce the law,” Dave added.

Dave says Don O’Neill’s take on the RVs is on point: How can people be immediately ticketed and towed for being parking for 2.5 hours in a two-hour zone, but RVs can sit on the street all day?

“Why should the rest of us have to move our cars when we’re not bothering anybody?” Dave asked.

The City of Seattle does not allow a vehicle to be parked in one place for more than 72 hours. The city’s municipal code prohibits vehicles over 80 inches in width from parking on most streets, unless they are in manufacturing or industrial zones.

KIRO Radio’s Colleen O’Brien says any RV camp that opens in the city is just treating the symptom of homelessness, not the problem.