There's Probably a Rovegate Parallel In Here Somewhere

City worker gets ticket, meter maid gets arrested:

"It's an unfortunate situation," Roussey said. "But there's always been strained relations between the police and parking people."

Full story here.

Comments

[an innocent bystander]

By the way, is anyone going to put something up about Westmoreland dying?

[Rhywun]

That has got to be the worst... job... ever.

strained relations between the police and parking people

Probably because the cops feel the need to lord it over the parking agents (yet aren't they cops too?).

[Tom Crick]

It's about time somebody started crackin' down on those damn meter maids!

[NoStar]

Perhaps Westy will really see a light at the end of the tunnel this time.

[Joe Dokes]

This situation perfectly exemplifies both the problem with police and city parking policy.

Probably for all of American history local police officers have had the attitude that little laws are made for John Q. Public only. As a kid I watched as my Dad's cop friends who drove drunk, sped with impunity, and parked wherever they wanted. They flaunted drinking in public laws, use of fireworks laws, and most other small laws that they would enforce on the average citizen.

As a result of this behavior I have lost almost all respect for police officers.

My Dad's cop friends would frequently lament the lack of public respect but could not see their behavior as a cause of the publics mistrust and lack of respect.

On the flip side of this, for too long cities have seen parking enforcement as an easy means of increasing city revenue. Thus, cities frequently create convoluted parking laws that result in even careful parkers receiving tickets. On top of that parking control officers are often required to write a certain number of tickets a day. Thus, many parking control officers write tickets that are not justified.

Thus, in the final analysis you have too competing travesties of American public life. On the one hand a petty cop who feels he or she is above the common law and a petty civil servant who feels that any ticket is a good ticket. As for me, I say a Pox on both their houses.

Regards

Joe

[beck]

Joe Dokes,
how dare you criticize public servants, if 9/11 has taught me anything it's that all cops and firefighters are heroes and their motives are are not to be questioned...

But seriously, nothing pisses me off more than watching cops in my neighborhood leisurely roll through stop signs or park in the handicap spot while they get their coffee at starbucks.

And you're right, the best part is that they don't get it when folks don't have any respect for them.

[drf]

You know, this has the workings of a great musical. Dalton, the tough, cynical, yet sensitive meter man fights the unjust system and his own past to win the metermaid championships sponsored by minutemaid on ESPN VIII (the irrelevant network).

the highlight is a touching solo, "nobody has a quarter for me".

target audience: white zin drinkers and their simp boyfriends.

[joe]

They could play the Chariots of Fire theme over shots of him chalking tires.

[Tom Crick]

"They could play the Chariots of Fire theme over shots of him chalking tires."

Ha!

[Nobody Important]

how dare you criticize public servants...
Comment by: beck at July 19, 2005 08:54 PM

"But do not condemn people who work for the government. That's the kind of mentality that produced Oklahoma City."
-President Bill Clinton on June 1, 1995.

"There is nothing patriotic about hating your country, or pretending that you can love your country but despise your government."
-President Bill Clinton on May 5, 1995.

"We can't love our country and hate our government."
-President Bill Clinton on December 30, 1995.

[Mad Anthony]

As a Baltimore City resident who has gotten my share of parking tickets, my first response was a chuckle of joy at seeing a parking enforcement officer in trouble. After all, I've gotten parking tickets where I was either in the right or had a valid argument, but I'm not going to take a day off work and stand around city hall to fight a $32 ticket.

But after reading the article, I would tend to take the meter maid's side. Why should some contractor for the city get treated differently than everyone else? If I gotta pay my tickets or risk getting my car booted, why should some people get away with not following those laws?