11-hour wait, 3-hour parking limit: Man ticketed while stuck in B.C. passport line
The Richmond resident had spent approximately 11 hours waiting in line for his travel documents, but the adjoining parking lot of Central City Mall, where the Service Canada office is located, has a three-hour limit.
"I was annoyed," Diaz told CTV News. "If the wait is this long, they shouldn't be penalizing us."
Lengthy waits have become the norm at many passport offices as Service Canada works through a massive backlog of applications, despite the recent implementation of a new triage process designed to save people time in the queue.
When Diaz arrived at Central City at around 3 a.m. Wednesday, he said there were already about 20 people lined up, including a couple with a baby. He never considered parking limitations while setting up the chair where he'd be sitting through the early morning hours, before finally seeing an agent at around 2 p.m.
When he was inside the passport office, he noticed signs alerting people about the parking lot's three-hour limit, but by then he was reluctant to move his car.
"I don't think anyone wanted to leave the room and risk losing our turn," he said.
According to the mall's website, there are parking spots available for extended hours – for a price – at "offsite and adjacent surface and underground lots."
While Diaz acknowledged he made a mistake, he still believes there should be exceptions for people trapped in the passport lineup, which is a daily occurrence. He told CTV News he wanted to share his story to prevent someone else from getting dinged with their own $80 fine.
CTV News has reached out to Concord Parking, which issued the ticket, to ask about possible exceptions for people waiting at the mall for passport service, but has not heard back.
Diaz also praised Service Canada's new triage system, which helped him see an agent and ensure his passport was ready for pickup by Thursday, one day before his scheduled flight to London.
His parking ticket does sting, however, especially after he was forced to pay an extra $100 for an expedited temporary passport.
His current passport isn't expired or lost, but he mailed it to Service Canada in May to get a certified copy, and is still waiting to receive it back.
"An agent said I should definitely get my passport back because it was just a copy request, but apparently they're so backlogged that they haven't gotten to it yet," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.