Gavin’s action was not only first reported by the Falls Church News-Press‘s Nicholas Benton, but Benton was the one who brought it to Gavin’s attention on Wednesday. The chief said she received an e-mail from Benton reporting that some citizens were upset with the tickets, apparently issued late Tuesday night. Gavin said she had the tickets pulled, looked at the time and place on each, found there were no dire circumstances involved, no cars abandoned and none requested to be towed by VDOT. So on Wednesday she ordered the tickets voided, and on Thursday she visited some of the residents and personally apologized.

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The situation was unique, Gavin said Thursday. “This doesn’t absolve citizens from not blocking the snow routes,” she told me. “I hope there is no precedent as it really is about measuring each and every circumstance for what is presented. The spirit in which the snow emergency route ordinance is written is to help facilitate snow removal and to assist public safety in moving or removing vehicles out of the way in dire circumstances. No vehicles in this instance were moved or directed to be moved by our immediate actions.”