[fwenzel]

You are technically right but you're missing one thing: The parking authority here has an easy time to prove that you've ostensibly parked against the rules. Say, if the curb paint was faded, all they have to show is a map showing where you parked and how that's a special area. Done.

Suddenly it's up to you as the defendant to prove that that wasn't the case.

Outside of completely bogus tickets, proving that they were technically allowed to write the ticket is a trivial affair for the authorities.