Disabled veteran gets fine refunded after license plate mix-up

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — After a week, a mix-up over a disabled veteran’s license plate that resulted in him being fined and accused of fraudulently parking in a downtown Knoxville garage has been resolved.

Last week, 6 News’ Don Dare spoke with Sid Booth , an U.S. Army veteran who served 33 years ago in the Gulf War. Two months after he parked his car at a downtown Knoxville garage and paid his bill, he received a fine.

The day after our story aired last week, we heard from the building manager where the garage is located and the garage’s corporate office, they wanted to resolve the issue. Tonight, Booth’s fine has been dropped and his parking fee credited.

Sid Booth proudly displays a license plate showing that Desert Storm campaign, but recently, he qualified for a disabled veterans tag. That’s when the mix-up started.

When Sid pulled into this downtown garage in March, the first thing he noticed there was no go gate and you no ticket machine. There is a sign though — that you pay on your smartphone. Mr. Booth had never done that before.

It works this way, a camera takes pictures of your license plate when you enter the garage and leave it. You simply drive right out, there is no attendant at the exit.

You have to scan this QR code on your smartphone and up pops an app for the First Horizon Plaza Garage in this case. You are then directed to send a text to verify your phone number. He followed the directions as he explained last week

“I scanned the QR code, that’s when I found out I already had an account with Metropolis, unbeknownst to me, that had already been set up in February,” Booth said.

In February, Booth drove his father to Turkey Creek Medical Center. His car was parked by the valet service which apparently is associated with Nashville-based Metropolis Parking. At the time in February, Sid had this veteran’s tag on his car. He is an Army veteran of Desert Storm, the first Gulf War.

When he pulled into the downtown garage in March, he had just received a different tag and had it on his car, the Disabled Veterans license plate, which was not registered with Metropolis.

Now, Booth has received the answer he was hoping for. His $80 fine from Metropolis parking has been wiped clean.

“Well they decided to waive the fine and they recognized the issue with their process,” Booth explained.

In addition to forgiving the $80 fine, Metropolis Parking will also be crediting Mr. Booth that $5.99 cent charge from March 28th.

Booth received an email from Metropolis parking clarifying the mix up.

“In the letter they said it is an automated system, that when a plate pulls in and it is not recognized it creates a different account,” Booth explained.

That’s what happened when his new disabled veterans plate was not recognized by the automated system.

Dare asked, “No real person looks at it?”

“No sir, it’s a system-generated fine. So they realize that is an issue. Not only are they looking at changing the process, but they are going back, according to the gentleman I spoke with, and reviewing fines that have been levied against others,” Booth explained.

“So what happened to you, won’t happen to other people?” said Dare. Booth responded, “Yes, sir. I hope it doesn’t.”

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