OUR VIEW: Be wary of rules on winter parking

Cloquet does not allow parking on city streets overnight during the snow season.

From November 1 until March 31, cars cannot be parked on the streets or in alleys between midnight and 6 a.m. In Esko, it’s prohibited between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m., and in Carlton, the hours are 3 a.m. to 6 a.m.

Overnight parking in the winter has been prohibited for many years and should not be much of a surprise to most of us. But a nice reminder about this time of year may help you avoid a ticket, or even worse, a tow.

Cars parked on the streets during the overnight hours are subject to being ticketed and towed. Paying a fine is bad enough; a tow can cost $100 and more.

Now, before the snow gets too heavy, the overnight police patrols will sometimes put an orange reminder sticker on your car, pointing out the restriction like they did a little over a week ago. We truly appreciate these neighborly reminders from the police department: in larger cities, if the cops are taking the time to put a note on your car, it’s attached to an expensive ticket. So these warnings are a nice perk to living in a small community.

But don’t think you are entitled to one “free” warning before you get a ticket. You’re not. You can be ticketed and towed even if it’s not snowing and no snow is forecast. While it may be inconvenient, we suggest you find off-street parking for your car now, rather than wait until you get a ticket. And simply pulling up on the boulevard won’t do it — that’s prohibited too — because that’s where the snow goes when the plows come through.

This is also a good time to remind residents that it’s your responsibility to keep the sidewalks cleared in front of your homes. While many of us wish the city would do it, it’s just too expensive. It’s not just a meaningless gesture either — there are children and adults who must walk to work or school or have to exercise pets, and we don’t want them forced to walk in the streets.

We hope this reminder with the inevitable snow coming our way helps everyone’s ability to get around this winter safely, by motor vehicle and on foot.