As many as 323 motorists were ticketed for parking in designated snow removal areas in Rutland, Vermont in December. The ticketing continues even though the city has not seen even a snowflake during this unusually warm winter. Meter maids have collected up to $28,800 in snow tickets. To make matters worse for motorists, the snow tickets recently quintupled in cost from $10 to $50.

Other Vermont towns do not use snow ticketing when there is no snow. In Burlington, a system of lights mounted on poles is activated, ensuring that parking is limited only when necessary for safety. In Brattleboro, where parking tickets are just $6, meter maids are not sent out to ticket cars for snow parking unless there is actually snow on the ground.

"In a snowless winter in which we're short five officers, we don't feel that paying overtime to issue tickets is in the best interest of the public," Brattleboro Police Captain Steven Rowell told the Rutland Herald. "The reality is that with no snow, there's no reason to be hammering people over parking tickets when we don't have the resources to do so anyway."

"If we were getting $50 from each ticket, it would pay for the overtime and make it worthwhile for us to do," he added.