USPS Shops, Parking Tickets

Vent post.

I did a “highly” bonused shop for the former company that had the USPS shops.

Out front is a parking area where there is “15 minute parking only”. My dumbass thought it would be a quick trip in and out and boy was I wrong.

No wonder this shop sat on the board for a while. 33 minutes and much aggravation later, I left and went on my way. I scored this location the lowest possible score across the board as they were as miserable as us customers waiting.

I go on my merry way. Yesterday? I get a parking ticket in the mail. Apparently they have cameras monitoring the parking area for violators and boom. My “highly bonused” shop earnings have disappeared.

Cost of doing business. Anyone think I can write this off (kidding).

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2024 11:50AM by Capurato.

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I would hesitate to name the member who might think that you could and should write it off.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

@walesmaven wrote:

I would hesitate to name the member who might think that you could and should write it off.

Hahaha. Have you seen that Schitt’s Creek episode around write offs? Quite humorous.

Was the parking in an USPS lot?

Do not read so much, look about you and think of what you see there.
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230

I wish it was a write off. Got a camera ticket recently while in a rental. Usually I ignore camera tickets, but now I have to deal with the rental company.

@whosear wrote:

Was the parking in an USPS lot?

They don’t have a lot here. This was a city street.

Actually, I think it is a legitimate business expense. It is an expense that was incurred only because you were doing a shop. Money paid for parking is deductible. I think this is also deductible. My only hesitation is that when I was working, my employer would not reimburse me for any parking tickets or speeding tickets that I might "collect" while on company business. Luckily I never collected any. [And I don't think I am the person Walesmaven was alluding to.]

Edited to Add: I just asked Google. "Unfortunately for drivers, parking tickets are not deductible. According to the IRS, you cannot get tax deductions for fines or penalties paid to a government (U.S. or foreign, federal or local). This is because the IRS does not want to incentivize citizens to break the law."

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2024 11:42PM by myst4au.

...Still waiting for him to chime in...haha.

@walesmaven wrote:

I would hesitate to name the member who might think that you could and should write it off.

Shopping Arkansas, Louisiana, & Mississippi.

Sorry to hear about your parking ticket. That stinks.

I have a parking ticket story too. I did a Kroger pickup in a downtown area earlier this year. The grocery store had an underground parking garage with a pickup parking stall. In order to park there, you are supposed to register your car and get a free hour to grocery shop. Well, I didn't do that since I didn't really need to get out of my car for a grocery pickup. Since it was underground, I didn't have cell phone reception. I ended up walking up to customer service to tell them I was here. By the time I got back a couple minutes later, I got a parking ticket. The grocery store couldn't care less since the parking garage is owned by a third party. You know what? I never paid it. Apparently, private lots can't really do much. They can only tow you if you keep coming back. They can kiss my rear end!!

I am thinking he may not read this section of the forum. ..... Yeah still waiting too.

@ArkLaMissshopping wrote:

...Still waiting for him to chime in...haha.

@walesmaven wrote:

I would hesitate to name the member who might think that you could and should write it off.

Lady Marius
Canadian Mystery Shopper

Last year, I got a parking ticket during a shop. It was a luxury retail shop that was heavily bonused. I got there right before the cutoff, but could not find a parking spot. It's a shopping center littered with these types of retailers. There were some rich neighborhoods nearby. I decided to park away from the road, but on the end of a curb near someone's house.

Well, big mistake. The shop took 30 minutes to complete. However, I returned to a parking ticket on my dashboard. It was from a cop at the nearby police department. He ran my driver's license, and a note was made that the vehicle was unattended. The ticket was issued a little over 10 minutes from when I parked. I looked around and could see the homeowner peeping out of his window from his mansion sized house. After the fact, I found out that police department is essentially on that neighborhood's payroll. I think the parking ticket was around $60-65. I lost a little less than 50%. It taught me to plan better when visiting that area.

Fines and penalties to any government organization - federal, state, county, local, & etc - are not deductible.

[www.irs.gov]

@Capurato wrote:

Vent post.

I did a “highly” bonused shop for the former company that had the USPS shops.

Out front is a parking area where there is “15 minute parking only”. My dumbass thought it would be a quick trip in and out and boy was I wrong.

No wonder this shop sat on the board for a while. 33 minutes and much aggravation later, I left and went on my way. I scored this location the lowest possible score across the board as they were as miserable as us customers waiting.

I go on my merry way. Yesterday? I get a parking ticket in the mail. Apparently they have cameras monitoring the parking area for violators and boom. My “highly bonused” shop earnings have disappeared.

Cost of doing business. Anyone think I can write this off (kidding).

I would deduct it but everyone's tax situation is not the same.

He only reads his own topics.

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