Missing Comma Gets Woman’s Ticket Dismissed

We hear it from our digital editor over and over, proofread your stuff. Punctuation errors can go unnoticed, cause problems or, occasionally, get you out of trouble.

An Ohio woman had her parking ticket dismissed because of a missing comma. She parked her truck in an area where parking for more than 24 hours was prohibited for "motor vehicle camper." She parked her truck there anyway, assuming that the sign referred to mobile homes, RVs, etc. She was ticketed, though. The city said what the sign meant was clear and that a comma would not have made it any clearer.

The judge agreed with the woman though and dismissed the ticket. He also ordered the city to either add a comma to the sign or to stop enforcing that law.