NEWBURYPORT - Do you park illegally so you can quickly duck into Starbucks for a cup of coffee?
If you do, consider this - you're at Newburyport's prime hunting grounds for parking tickets.
The area in front of the Grog driveway and Starbucks' entrance on Liberty Street is one of the most lucrative spots for parking tickets in the city, said parking enforcement officer Diane Rohner.
Drivers will often block the driveway for the Grog's parking lot, or block the Grog's delivery entrance. There is a fire hydrant right there, too, which they also block, Rohner said. The fine for parking within 10 feet of a fire hydrant is $25. The fine for blocking a driveway/alley is $15, and for blocking a loading zone is $20.
Another common site for parking problems is the corner of Liberty and State, Rohner said, both in front of Starbucks, and across the street in front of the bank and ATM.
There's a few runner-ups, like the fire hydrant at the corner of State and Essex streets, and two Pleasant Street no-parking zones that are close to street corners — one in front of Richdale's, and the other next to the cobblestoned alleyway near the entrance to Szechuan Taste.
There's also the large loading zone near the Inn Street entrance on Pleasant Street, marked by yellow stripes.
People will also double-park along State Street, she said, believing if they just run into the store for a minute, it'll be OK.
"They can't be there at all," Rohner said.
Once she writes up the ticket and puts a license plate down, she said, she will not take it back. While some drivers will argue, she said, others are understanding and realize they broke the law.
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