Many parents at Percy Pegler Elementary School and Okotoks Junior High got a $50 shock a few weeks ago.

Parents have been using the alley that runs from Okotoks Junior High off of Pacific Ave, or the lane that connects to Okotoks Drive as a meeting spot to pick up their children from school.

To Derek Scott, a parent of three children in Okotoks Junior High, and Percy Pegler, this back alley is the best spot to meet his children.

It's in between both school's, doesn't block anyone's parking spot or driveway and is easily accessible.

Scott says a few weeks back, he and many other parents using the alley for the same reason were ticketed and told they were in violation of Town Bylaw 10-10 section 4.6.

"As soon as I pulled in, my kids were there. They were literally just climbing in the truck when the officer pulled in behind us and gave us a ticket for parking in the alley."

Many parents were upset as they feel they weren't technically parking and Scott says when he looked up the bylaw, he feels they were within the exception.

"When I went home and checked the bylaw after I got the ticket, the bylaw actually says that you are allowed to use the alley for loading or unloading, or to pick-up and drop-off." He states that there also aren't any signs in the area saying no parking, or no stopping. "The officers reply is that there was signage, but there's no signs indicating that we can't stop in the alley, only that we can't park in the school parking lot, that says staff only."

Scott emailed the Town's Municipal Office describing that he was unaware, and that there should be correct signage in place to avoid the problem, asking if the ticket could be voided and written up as a warning.

The E-mail that came back in reply, politely said no, and he has 22 days to pay his fine.

Scott says for a $50 ticket, the Town really spent more money enforcing the bylaw than it would have cost them to hang signs to communicate the issue more effectively.

"It's only a $50 ticket, I mean if you think about the officers time, the gas and administration it would have just been cheaper for the Town to create three signs and hang them on the chain link fence that simply says 'No Stopping'."

Bylaw stated that they don't have to put up a sign to remind residents of the bylaws. It is the drivers responsibility to make themselves familiar with the Town's laws.

Bylaws can be found on the Town's website.