A Los Angeles couple is challenging a $293 bus-lane ticket, arguing that their dashcam captured key moments missing from the city’s evidence.
Chris Orsi and Sarah Haruko said they were waiting for pedestrians to pass in downtown Los Angeles when a Metro bus recorded their Kia in a bus lane on Sept. 24. The footage led to a parking citation they maintain was unjustified, according to FOX 11.
The incident occurred as the couple traveled east along Sixth Street toward a friend’s garage near Spring Street. They are now contesting the fine and say officials warned them that receiving a decision could take six to eight months.
To reach the garage entrance, the couple had to briefly move into the bus lane. They said they stopped before crossing the sidewalk to allow pedestrians through and waited for the garage door to open.
Haruko said a bus drove past on their left as they entered the garage. About a week later, the couple received a $293 ticket in the mail. However, the two recordings appear to present different versions of what happened.
The city’s video shows the bus passing the Kia but ends before the vehicle turns. Their dashcam keeps recording and shows the couple entering the garage only seconds after the bus passes.
That gap in the city’s footage forms the basis of their appeal. The couple says the video fails to show their brief wait before turning and instead depicts the maneuver as a parking violation.
Orsi and Haruko told the outlet they challenged the citation about five weeks ago, but were informed that the review process could continue well into next year.
“I feel like they’re casting a wide net with their policies, and we all got caught in it, and we have to fend for ourselves,” Orsi told the station.
The couple said they decided to speak publicly because they believe other drivers may encounter similar problems. Haruko cited social media posts from motorists describing their own bus-lane ticket disputes.
Although the enforcement system uses artificial intelligence, Metro says a person is required to review the evidence before a citation is mailed.
Metro said an LADOT traffic officer examines the camera footage before a ticket is issued. Haruko wants that review to include events that occurred outside the bus camera’s limited view.
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“Involve a human that can look at the whole context of the situation,” she said.
Metro and LADOT jointly operate the Bus Lane Enforcement program, which uses cameras provided by Hayden AI. The ticketing program began on Feb. 17, 2025, after an initial warning period.
The program has generated significant financial penalties. LADOT data shows that more than 115,000 citations were issued throughout Los Angeles in 2025, producing approximately $19.6 million in gross revenue.
A first violation carries a $293 fine, while repeat offenses cost $406.
The couple’s dispute comes as Los Angeles faces broader scrutiny over its street-sweeping enforcement practices.
An L.A. Material investigation found that more than 12,500 allegedly improper tickets were issued on days when street sweeping was not scheduled, amounting to about $910,000 in fines.
LADOT initially said it had proactively canceled erroneous citations and offered instructions for obtaining refunds. However, questions about thousands of seemingly uncanceled tickets later led to an audit.
The department said it would reimburse people who paid tickets that were determined to have been issued in error.
Those findings involve a separate enforcement system, but they have intensified questions about how effectively the city identifies and corrects ticketing errors.
For Orsi and Haruko, the issue is straightforward: their dashcam shows them turning into a garage, and they want officials to consider that evidence before requiring them to pay.
The California Post reached out to LADOT for comment.
