Q: Last year, Times' co-worker Susan Gilmore received a parking ticket over the Fourth of July holiday for parking her own car on the street blocking her own driveway.

She says she parked one car in her driveway, and another across the driveway because parking is so scarce in her Wallingford neighborhood, particularly over that holiday, when others are looking for parking places because of nearby public fireworks displays.

"Can't I do this if I own the house?," she asked. "I know police don't know who owns the cars blocking the driveways, but could I write a note and leave it on my dashboard, saying I own the house and purposely blocked my driveway?

"And if I get a ticket, could I fight it?"

A: According to Seattle's municipal code, it's illegal for anyone to park in front of a public or private driveway on a street or alley. Both Gregg Hirakawa of Seattle's transportation department and Officer Sean Whitcomb of the Seattle Police Department pointed that out.

But, adds Whitcomb: "If someone chose to block their own driveway, they would be well- suited to write a note explaining the circumstances. However, that would not necessarily guarantee that they might not get a ticket."

Could you fight the ticket? You can always fight a ticket. The question is, would you win? A court would have to determine that.