LA couple fights $293 AI bus lane ticket, says dashcam video proves they never parked
AI allegedly issuing $293 tickets
Drivers in Los Angeles argue AI-powered cameras are wrongfully issuing tickets to those who never even parked their vehicles to begin with.
LOS ANGELES - AI-powered cameras are helping cities crack down on traffic violations. But what happens when they get it wrong?
A Los Angeles couple says an AI-powered camera on a Metro bus wrongly ticketed them $293 for parking in a downtown L.A. bus lane. They say their dashcam video shows they were turning into a garage, not parked. The couple is contesting the ticket, while LADOT has yet to respond to FOX 11’s request for comment.
Chris Orsi and Sarah Haruko are fighting a $293 parking ticket from an AI-powered camera on a Metro bus. They say their own dashcam video shows they never parked.
The couple says they’re going public to warn other drivers about what they see as flaws in the system.
"I really feel that the city needs to pay more attention to this system and the flaws in it and make some corrections," Orsi said.
On Sept. 24, 2026, Orsi and Haruko were driving east on Sixth Street in downtown Los Angeles. To turn right into a friend’s garage near Spring Street, they had to move into the bus lane.
Haruko said they stopped briefly while pedestrians crossed in front of the garage.
"We pulled into the lane and waited for some pedestrians to cross the sidewalk, and for the garage door to open, and then we turned in," she said. "And as we turned in, a bus passed us on the left."
A camera on that bus recorded their Kia in the bus lane. About a week later, the couple got a $293 citation in the mail.
The city’s video of the violation shows the bus passing the couple’s car and ends before the car turns. The couple’s dashcam video shows them turning into the garage seconds after the bus goes by.
The couple says they contested the ticket about five weeks ago and were told a decision could take six to eight months.
"When we first got the ticket, we were shocked," Haruko said. "We’re like, oh my God, this is crazy."
"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 said.
The couple says they’re not alone. On social media, other drivers are posting their own bus lane ticket stories.
"It’s not just us," Haruko said. "They’re doing this to a lot of people."
According to Metro, an LADOT traffic officer reviews the camera evidence before a ticket goes out. The couple wants a closer look.
"Involve a human that can look at the whole context of the situation," Haruko said.
The Bus Lane Enforcement program is run by Metro and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. Hayden AI, a tech company, supplies the cameras.
Ticketing began Feb. 17, 2025, after a warning period that started in November 2024.
LADOT figures show the program issued more than 115,000 citations in the city of Los Angeles in 2025, bringing in about $19.6 million in gross revenue.
A first offense costs $293. A repeat offense costs $406.
FOX 11 contacted LADOT for comment and has not heard back. Hayden AI referred our questions to LADOT.
Orsi and Haruko say they’ll keep fighting the ticket.