BS: A chat with the meter maid

Subject: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 12:50 PM

I walked out my front door today and saw the local meter maid (a pudgy guy in his fifties) putting a ticket on my window. The back of my car was in front of my driveway, where I never park. The driveway now has a load of lumber that my son and I are using to resurface the deck. I told him this and he explained that the law is the law and he can't be expected to knock on doors to ask if the car blocking a driveway belongs to the owner of the driveway.
That being settled, he related some of the other interesting incidents in his day.
He told me about writing a $200 ticket for a car parked in a handicapped spot with no handicapped permit. He said if the owner had moved about 30 feet to a place in front of a fire hydrant, he would have saved himself $185. The ticket would have been fifteen bucks.
He also talked about drivers who think that as long as their four way flashers are on they can park anywhere. He said that to a parking enforcement officer, four way flashers mean,"I'm parking illegally. Ticket me!"
We finished our pleasent conversation and he handed me my ticket and walked away.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: GUEST,LTS pretending to work
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 12:58 PM

Ah, he has a point about not being expected to knock on doors...

There are times I'd love to be a traffic warden (meter maid), especially when I see these huge 4X4s taking up two marked parking bays, or when perfectly able people take up disabled parking spaces.

I'd also lurk near cashpoints (ATMs) and leap out on unsuspecting 'cash-point cripples' when they've just put their card in the machine and can't get back to the car parked as close as possible to the machine. It happens a lot in our local supermarket, which has ATMs outside. The car park is literally 15 feet away, it's free, there are no walls to jump or barriers to negotiate but people still insist on parking on the double yellow lines, blocking the road, just to save themselves walking an extra 15 feet across the road.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Peace
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 01:01 PM

"He said if the owner had moved about 30 feet to a place in front of a fire hydrant, he would have saved himself $185. The ticket would have been fifteen bucks."

If it's one we needed on a call, he'd also have had the towing bill and maybe a glass repair bill. Or maybe we'd just roll it out of the way and he could deal with the $3000 repair all by his lonesome.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: SINSULL
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 01:18 PM

I do recall with glee the day when a small fire required help from the fire department and Mr. Mercedes had once again parked in the yellow area for the hydrant.
They smashed his window on the driver's side, ran a leaky hose through his front seat and out the passenger window (also smashed). Then, to add insult to injury, the police ticketed his car.
Arrogant creep didn't have a leg to stand on.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 01:27 PM

...perfectly able people take up disabled parking spaces.

Just a note: sometimes the disability is not readily apparent.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Ebbie
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 01:27 PM

lol Or a seat to sit on.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Rapparee
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 01:37 PM

When I lived in South Bend, a car parked in front of a fire hydrant every Notre Dame home football game. Since this was in my neighborhood I asked the cops to do something, but they couldn't unless the Fire Dept. complained (or so they said). I called the FD -- they said not to worry, if they were called they smash the front side windows and run the hose through the car (which was a very expensive Cadillac).

The idea was nearly enough for me to set a smoky but innocuous fire, but I never did.

And then, one day, my wife was walking back from a game and a cop was not only writing a ticket, but a wrecker was hauling the car away! The cop told he, with great glee, "NOW! His licenses plates have expired! It's gonna cost him a thousand bucks to pay the fines, get the car out of the impound lot, and for the trouble he's caused over the years!" She said that she has seldom seen a cop going about his job with such joy.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 01:42 PM

Our meter maids seem to steer clear of shopping malls, probably with good reason.
Shopping mall parking lots here in Alberta are governed by provincial (equivalent to state) rules and not those of the city.
Most lots have wide perimeter roads and a number of narrower lanes where one parks. The lane or road to the right has right-of-way regardless of roadway prominence. This catches everyone with surprise when they have a collision and the cops come in and write the ticket.
The mall lots are posted as private property, but this doesn't mean the mall owner hands out all the rules.
Parking in Handicap stalls is enforced by Traffic Codes, but using two regular marked spaces may not be ticketable- not sure on this, but this one may be up to the mall owner.
Using stalls marked as 'reserved for customers of --- store' may or may not be enforceable by the mall security men. I have seen arguments, but no police called. Next time I go to the AAA for maps, etc., I should ask about traffic rules on this.

In any case, if one owns a new, or rather expensive model, it pays to park at the lot edges, where those little nudges by people going in or out of stalls is minimized.

I agree with Peace. Blocking a fireplug or emergency lane deserves a wrecked car as the result.

Parking in the downtown of our city is expensive and difficult during working hours; like many who don't have to go downtown, I haven't seen downtown for months.
Flashers are for emergencies. An illegally stopped car will be ticketed, emergency or not. If one wishes to fight, one may take the case to traffic court.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Irene M
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 01:50 PM

For the benefit of folks overseas, in the UK, a single yellow line against the kerb means "Don't park here" and double yellow lines mean "Don't EVER park here" ( I am keeping this simple, for those picky people who want to post corrections, OK?!)
In this neighbourhood of Derby, a single yellow line is taken to mean "Park here" and double yellow lines to mean "Double park here". I've seen 'em do it.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Becca72
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 02:10 PM

"Just a note: sometimes the disability is not readily apparent."

Here in Maine you are required to have either handicap plates or a placard hanging from your rear view mirror, regardless of your disability, to park in a handicap space. We even have special parking spaces (right next to the handicap spaces) for expectant mothers in a lot of mall and grocery store parking lots in the Portland area.

I tend to park off in the corner somewhere because A) it forces me to get in a short walk and B) people are less likely to ding up my car.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Peace
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 02:19 PM

"Blocking a fireplug or emergency lane deserves a wrecked car as the result."

I have never participated in the actual wrecking of a car. At one fire, however, the car parked too close to the hydrant--we were able to access the hydrant and get water despite him being illegally parked--was stuck there--hemmed in by an Aerial Ladder truck and a Rescue Vehicle. And there he sat. For seven hours. "But I have to get to __________________, a city three hours away." Our response? "There's a bus at 2:00 PM. Good luck."

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: jeffp
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 03:01 PM

Handicapped plates are required in Colorado too, kat. I just checked. Maryland requires them as well, but the fine varies with the local jurisdiction.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 03:25 PM

The sheer laziness of people who are unwilling to walk an extra 15 or 20 feet (as in those who park illegally in front of the ATM machine entrance at the shopping mall) never ceases to amaze me. I have grown to actually enjoy the walk from the parking lot to the ATM. I look forward to it. It's a good opportunity to get some much-needed exercise and fresh air, I figure.

I am also continually bugged by the laziness of the people who leave their shopping carts scattered hither and yon ALL over the grocery store parking lot, blocking parking spaces and getting in everyone's way. I have started moving the nearest 8 or 10 such scattered carts to the cart shelter where they are supposed to be, after parking my car. It's my good deed for the day, and it's more handy exercise and fresh air.

At the cart shelter itself, a small roofed enclosure, does one find the carts neatly stacked inside one another so as to use the space properly? Ha! Surely you jest! Not in couch-potatoe land. No, they are not stacked at all, they are jammed helter skelter in an incredible tangled mess, pointing in all directions, because a whole bunch of people before me could not spare one or two seconds of their incredibly valuable time to expend the tiny effort needed to aim their cart accurately and push it securely into the next cart and make them line up. They just shoved it in the general direction of the shelter and walked away. Un-fucking-believable.

So I go to the cart shelter with my cart, I drag all the other carts out of the tangle, I line them up properly one by one, and push them each into place. It takes me maybe a minute or less to do that. I can spare that minute, and it gives me a certain sense of sardonic satisfaction.

Matter of fact, it's kind of getting to be fun... ;-) Maybe I should apply for a job as cart recovery officer at the local mall.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: SINSULL
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 04:17 PM

I don't believe it is laziness. I believe it is arrogance - "That doesn't apply to me. I won't get ticketed anyway."

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: jeffp
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 04:42 PM

I think you're right, Sins. The ones I save my greatest anger for are the ones who leave their carts in the handicapped spaces. These people should wind up in Hell. And they should have to walk there.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Sorcha
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 04:43 PM

Sinsull, I LOVE your story! I'd love even more to see it happen! And I agree about the arrogance.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 05:29 PM

Hey! You could be right that it's arrogance, SINSULL. It's the old "I'm way more important than these other people around here." trip. I have had 2 close male relatives in this life who demonstrated exactly that sort of arrogance wherever they went...other people were as the dirt beneath their feet, unless they needed something from them, of course...

What I would like to see is some mall cops with a special duty. They sieze people who have left their cart arrogantly in everyone else's way and stamp their foreheads with a red ink marker that says, "I am a lazy, arrogant jerk who can't be bothered returning my shopping cart."

If the person puts up a big protest about that, give them a 2nd stamp right below the first that says, "AND I have a bad FUCKING attitude!"

Then make them roll the cart back and send them on their way...

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Emma B
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 06:14 PM

bring it on! LOL

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 06:24 PM

Guest, Jim - The parking bloke is right in that he was just doing his job. I dunno if it is the same there but here in the UK you probably will avaoid the fine if you write to the appropriate authority and explain.

Kat's point "sometimes the disability is not readily apparent" has been picked up once or twice by people pointing out the parking in a disabled spot usualy requires some kind of plate or windscreen sticker. My favourite line to people parked in said spaces without the proof is "Mental is it?" When they ask "What?" I repeat "Mental is it? The disability?" Over the heads of most of the arrogant selfish dick-heads but I enjoy it!

:D

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Bobert
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 06:33 PM

It was back 'round 1984 and I had this beautifully customized '56 Volkswagen that I had spent 2 years building and had only had it on the street for about a month when it was stolen from my house, stripped and burned...

So the cops wnated to know what I wanted it towed and I said, "Bring it to my house" which they did... The following morning, there was my burned out old VeeDub next to my house with a danged "parking ticket" on it!?!?!?!?...

I mean, the very next morning...

Now, most folks won't go to court to fight a parking ticket but I did... I took phot's of what it had looked like the day before and expalined where I had legally parked it and about how some sumabich/s stole it and how the cops dropped it right where it was an' guess what???

Yup!!!

"Not guilty"...

Only cost me two years of hard wotk and thousandes of dollars but, hey, I beat that $15 parking ticket, didn't I???

Nevermind...

Grrrrrrrr... I hate a thief... Ain't wild about meter maids either...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Bill D
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 06:52 PM

SINSULL...a firehose like this?

seems BMW and Mercedes have a lot in common.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Bill D
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 07:01 PM

...and I also make the effort to return shopping carts to the proper place. I flatly do not comprehend folks who can be bothered, and leave them scattered. I will NOT park illegally. I will be clever...and find where rare spaces are....or I will walk a block.

And I actually gave up shopping at one mall because of the illegal parking in front of MY bank's ATM and the grocery & dry cleaners..etc.. "Oh, I'm just gonna be a minute". Well, if you park legally, it might take you 2 minutes...wow...

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 08:06 PM

I suppose this is a good place to tell my tale.

A couple of weeks ago, my son, age 20, who lives with us, was working on his bicycle, patching a tire that leaked air badly. When he finished, he needed to put air in the tire, and, lacking a tire pump, he put the bike in the trunk of our car (my wife's car actually; It was a nice day so she had walked to work), drove to the local gas station, filled his tire with air, then got on his bike, rode it home, and totally forgot about the car!

This was on a Friday afternoon. When she got home from work, my wife noticed that her car was missing, but my son was also missing, which is not unusual. He works evenings, and frequently borrows one of our cars. He got home late at night after we went to bed, and slept long past noon the next day, which is also not unusual.

We still didn't see the car anywhere, but we weren't alarmed. We figured he had parked around the corner or something. It's also not unusual for all the parking spaces on our block to be full on a Friday night, especially if the college students across the street have a party. We live near a university.

When my son woke up, we had a conversation something like this:

--Where did you leave the car?
--Huh? I didn't have the car.
--Didn't you drive the car yesterday?
--No, I just rode my bike.
--Hmmm. I seem to recall your bike had a flat tire and you couldn't ride it.
--I fixed that.
--Well, how did you fix it?
--Well, I, um…hmm. Wait a minute. I guess I did use the car….hmmm.

It turns out, the gas station had the car towed, but not until sometime Saturday afternoon, after the car had sat on their lot for about 24 hours—and not until they absolutely had to move it, because it was blocking the tanker truck that came to deliver more gasoline. They were very apologetic. They certainly weren't eager to piss off one of their regular customers, but I didn't blame them a bit.

So what do suppose the towing fee was? THREE HUNDRED FREAKIN' DOLLARS (and change).

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: robomatic
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 08:20 PM

In the last Millenium I was ticketed in Newton, Mass. for having my motorcycle parked on the sidewalk. When I called in to say there was no sidewalk on my side of the street they explained to me that the space "reserved for pedestrians" constituted the sidewalk on which I had so negligently parked.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 08:38 PM

Omigod, Jim Dixon! What a story. I guess I would've been just a wee bit ticked off if my son had done that...

Mind you, such things can happen to anyone. The human mind easily gets sidetracked now and then.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 09:07 PM

We have had a lot of correspondence/heat over the past year or 2 about folks illegally getting Disabled Parking Permits (they last forever & apparently don't need renewing!) & parking illegally all day while working. Some folks never give them up after getting them while recovering from a injury, or to drive older relatives about, and of course, some folks apparently have no reason at all for having a permit.

Innner city folks noticed cars displaying Disabled permits & parked all day at meters or in time-limited spots, & noticed well-dressed folks parking these cars before work & collecting them around 8 hours later. hmmmm

Said well-dressed folks were usually shifty when reporters asked them if they were entitled to use the permit.

There has also been a lot of correspondence/hot air about Disabled permits needing photos, some folks saying the person's privacy will be intruded upon etc.

I have a number of friends with permits & as has been said, some don't look disabled, while others walk on sticks etc, and others have permission to drive disabled relatives around.

On a lighter note, we have 2 garages in our narrow back lane & my neighbour often had trouble with folks parking opposite her door. In her smoking days she would simply empty her ashtray on the offending car's bonnet! One day she even lifted a handy green garbage bag on to the bonnet to express her displeasure!!

One day I came home in time to see a bloke's reaction to a ticket on his windscreen. He had his back to me & was facing his car, arms raised & waving about, obviously saying something like I was only gone 5 minutes, or 2 minutes, I was really only away for a few seconds, why me, moan, moan. So I left a message on Carole's ans. machine. She was so happy.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 09:25 PM

I know someone who uses a handicapped sign in her car and parks in those spaces regularly...and I have seen no evidence that she is handicapped. I don't know what her excuse is, or even if she has one.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Bill D
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 09:36 PM

I just remembered...35 or so years ago, I worked at a business school at the edge of the downtown area. Beside my building was a section with no meters, but a sign stating "Two Hour Parking". My 2nd floor office looked directly down at the street. While looking out, I noticed a guy walk up to a car, go to the street side, and squat down, then leave again. Curious, I watched and he came back that afternoon and did it again. Then I noted the same car was there every day...and when I was able to watch, the same man came by in the same pattern.....then I saw the meter maid come by with her chalk on a stick, marking tires....a-HA!
...Hmmm...says, I...this guy is stopping by twice a day and erasing the chalk marks. Well, the temptation was too much...one day, the meter maid made her swing by, and soon after, the guy appeared, dampened a rag in some water in the gutter, and washed off the chalk........and I grabbed a piece of chalk, ran down stairs, and RE-chalked the tire.
    After a couple of hours, the meter maid came by and dutifully wrote a ticket. I watched closely....and the guy comes by for his afternoon tirewashing.....stops dead as he sees the ticket....rushes to the other side of the car to see the chalk mark....angrily GRABS the ticket and MARCHES ..stomp, stomp, stomp...off with it.

   I was amused and fascinated at how neatly it had worked...but I would have given a dollar to HEAR what he said at the court to explain his dispute of the ticket... "This isn't fair, I KNOW I carefully washed off that mark only 2 hours earlier! She had no right to make another swing by that block!"

I did NOT see his car there again.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 09:59 PM

Little Hawk, there is quite a penalty here for mis-using a Disabled sign. Why not report it and see what happens.

Nothing to do with meter maids, but some years back I had to park in a parking structure. Often it was almost full and late comers had to park way up, following the spiral. Someone took to parking in the open space in front of the elevator on lower floors, blocking access to disabled or those with deliveries. Warning notices were ignored. One day a deep scratch appeared on the hood, along with a knife. The elevator access was never blocked again.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 10:03 PM

Ha! Ha! Ha! Oh, you are a cheeky devil, Bill.

Actually, my sympathies have always been more with the parkers in those 2-hour free zones. The parking cops used to do the chalk thing on our residential street all the time, and I was sorely tempted to go out and erase the chalk marks off other people's cars just to screw up the cops' game...but I never did. Didn't quite have the nerve...

You note, though, that I was not thinking in terms of trying to save myself the ticket, but of trying to help the other people. My car was safely in the driveway. I saw no reason whatever to arbitrarily assign a 2-hour limit for parking on that particular street. It served no real purpose. I don't think it benefited anyone but the city when it collected the fines. It was just idle harassment of people who mostly had perfectly valid reasons for parking somewhat longer than 2 hours.

If they had had an 8-hour or a 12-hour limit on that street, then I could see it.

The funniest thing I've seen along this line was a motorcycle cop who attempted to ticket an illegally parked car on a busy, busy street in Toronto by the downtown University campus. He came rumbling around the corner, saw the car, got off his bike and walked over...starting writing down the info...turned to go back to his bike for something (maybe a working pen?)....he's standing with his back to the car, writing...and at that very moment along comes the car owner down the sidewalk (he's obviously a young University student)...!!! (you could just see the huge exclamation points above the guy's head as he spots the cop and realizes what's up)

In a split second the guy slips stealthily into the car, closes the door ever so softly, start's 'er up....the cop is still writing, with his back turned...and pulls away into traffic with his head down....

(the noise of all the heavy traffic covered his escape perfectly)

About a second and a half later the cop turns around and does this GIANT DOUBLETAKE at the empty curb!!!!!!!!!!

Omigod. I nearly died laughing, cos I saw the whole thing and it all happened in about 20 seconds or less.

That cop looked all around like he was losing his mind, and then just stood there helplessly, holding the ticket. After a bit he shook his head, crumpled it up, got back on his bike and drove off.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 10:14 PM

The chalk mark was easy to beat if the zone was not far from your place of work. Pull out and repark. The mark will be in a different place or covered.
Meters have been planted where the 2-hour zones used to be, so free zones are few.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Peace
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 10:58 PM

First it was the ozone, now it's the freezone. Where will it end?

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 11:36 PM

It will end when Shane is pronounced Ruler of the World.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Peace
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 11:37 PM

My GAWD.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Don Firth
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 11:39 PM

I have "DP" plates on my car (Washington State, "Disabled Person"), and I was also sent a little thingamabob to hang from the rear-view mirror if someone without DP plates is transporting me in their car.

One day a few years back I had a long lunch hour at work and it was a very nice day, so I stopped at a drive-in to pick up lunch, then drove out to Green Lake (north part of Seattle). I drove into the parking lot by the field house, and it was pretty parked up. But I knew there were two handicapped parking spots (sign at each of them with a blue wheelchair symbol) very near the path to the field house, so I drove there. One of the spots was taken. And I noticed that the car had neither DP plates, nor the little thingy hanging from the mirror. "Aha!" I thought.

I pulled into the other spot to eat lunch and calmly watch the antics of the ducks and geese that frequented the lake. I also noted two cormorants standing out on the swimming raft with their wings spread. They'd obviously been "fishing" and were drying their wings in the sun. I didn't know we had cormorants around here 'til then. But I kept a weather eye out in case someone with DP plates drove up (because I wasn't getting out and I really didn't need the parking place), and was prepared to start the engine, pull out, and let them have it.

After some time, two young guys, mid-twenties I would judge, walked up and got into the car parked in the handicapped space next to me. They were wearing sweats and running shoes, and had obviously been jogging the three+ miles around the lake. They looked at me. I looked at them. I gave them the fish-eye, but other than the occasional surreptitious glance, they studiously avoided looking in my direction. Then one of them reached in the back to pick up a couple of cans (Beer? Coke? Couldn't tell). As he did so, he noticed the police patrol scooter with meter maid aboard, driving through the lot and heading our way. Quick like a bunny, they started the car, pulled out, and headed swiftly out of the lot.

The meter maid noted my DP plates and pulled into the now empty spot. She stepped over to my car and I rolled down the window. Her eyes did a quick flick and she noticed the aluminum forearm crutches on the seat next to me, then asked. "Do you know how long that car was parked there?"

"No," I said, "but it was here when I arrived, and I've been here for close to half an hour."

"You saw them, then?"

"Yes. A couple of joggers."

She grimaced. "I saw the way they took off. Guys like that really make me mad! They think they're so damned smart, but they don't realize that just vacating the spot a few seconds before the law arrives isn't going to help them.   I got their license number as they drove out. In a few days, the owner of that car is going to get a nice fat ticket in the mail!"

"Excellent!" I grinned. "Just how fat will the ticket be?"

"Eighty-five dollars," she said.

That was a few years ago and 85 bucks would smart a bit more than it might today. But the fine has gone up since then.

We grinned and gave each other the "thumbs-up" sign. She got back on her scooter, I started my car (time to get back to the office), and we went our separate ways.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 12:30 AM

I know in Colorado one has to have a placard or a plate. I had a placard when I was on oxygen and just renewed it for another three years as I continue to recover from years of being ill and having surgery as well as a chronic foot injury which is slowly getting better. With the O2, it was obvious, but I can't tell you the number of times I had to explain that I was NOT on O2 because I had smoked and/or had emphysema. Some people were really judgemental about it!

What I meant was someone looking at me may not know I have any kind of disability, so it is best not to assume someone is NOT unless it is really obvious as in Don's story about the joggers. I know other folks who have heart conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune disorders, etc. who do not look obviously disabled, yet they have placards and deserve them, imo.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Don Firth
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 01:03 AM

Intending to do some shopping at the Northgate mall one day, I drove through the parking lot to the entrance near the store I was going to, and noted that both of the handicapped parking places were occupied. And both cars had DP plates.

Fair enough. I knew of another pair just a short distance away, not too far for me to walk on my crutches. If one of them was, indeed, unoccupied.

BUT—!!!

To the side of each of these handicapped parking places was an area marked with diagonal white stripes (like, I think, what the British would call a "zebra crossing"). Between the two cars with DP plates, someone had managed to wedge a car without DP plates—on the striped area.

Now, that striped space (which means "No Parking") was there so that someone with a wheelchair could wrestle the chair out of their car, slide over onto it, and go their way. Or where a van, so equipped, would have room to use a wheelchair lift.

As I was sitting there, marveling at this phenomenon, the owner of the rogue automobile arrived.

"Ma'am," I called, "these spaces are marked 'handicapped parking.'"

"Well!" she responded indignantly. "This one isn't!"

I called her attention to the white stripes under her car and told her what they were there for. And also informing her of what diagonal white stripes like that mean anywhere she encounters them:   No Parking.

I saw her shrink visibly. But she sure as hell wasn't going to admit that she was in the wrong. She didn't thank me (odd, that!), but I could tell she was aware that she was lucky her informant was me and not a policeman or parking checker.

The three cars were so close together that she had quite a struggle getting her door open so she could get into her car. You'd think she would have noticed the tightness of the space when she first got there.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Rowan
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 01:20 AM

Sinsull's story "I do recall with glee the day when a small fire required help from the fire department and Mr. Mercedes had once again parked in the yellow area for the hydrant" reminded me of a popular (around here, anyway) definition of schadenfreud.

It's the feeling of mixed pleasure and sadness when you see a beautiful Mercedes and a beautiful BMW, both breaking the law, crash into each other hard enough to be expensive but without damaging people.

Apologies for the thread drift.

And I recall being on the receiving end of some abuse when I reported a car for having parked across the only available access path required by a wheelchair-bound mate of mine. The owner of the car had a terrible case of osteoporosis/arthritis (or something equally crippling) and had parked there (instead of about 3' to one side) because she thought she was the only disabled person within cooee.

Ditto about more thread drift.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Gedpipes
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 03:53 AM

There are such a lot of charitable people on Mudcat.
Blue skies

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: GUEST,LTS pretending to work
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 03:57 AM

In the UK, it used to be that orange Disabled badge holders (it's now blue I think?) had to be reviewed on a yearly basis to check their elligibility for the disabled privileges. The badge had to be displayed when parked in disabled bays, and the clock on it (you moved it to the time you arrived so the traffic wardens could monitor it) set so you could observe the time limit if there was one.

I always park as close as I can to the trolley park - it may be further to walk to the store, but I haven't got to leave a car full of shopping to take the trolley back!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 09:04 AM

Yeah, Gedpipes. ;-) There are probably some karmic perils involved in rejoicing overmuch at the punishment or the comeuppance of others...wouldn't you think?

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Mooh
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 09:44 AM

I'm in a lousy mood to start with and this subject just grinds my gears.

We get morons parking illegally in front of the credit union down the block, engine idling, rap or some otherwise intolerable noise blaring at window shattering volume, at night. There are so many infractions going on with this that it boggles my mind.

Regularly someone blocks at least part of my laneway, usually while attending something going on at the church next door. Most of the year I can happily drive around around these, but when the snow banks are high it's not possible. I like to be as understanding as possible, but when it was regularly the same vehicle a few years ago, I called the cops to have the car ticketed or towed. A ticket prevented that vehicle again.

The situation around the closest Tim Hortons is bizarre. Coffee withdrawal makes truckers park on the four lane highway, cars park right up to the intersection corners, line up on the highway for the drivethrough, double park in their parking lot, with many of the vehicles idling. Someone will get killed or maimed before anything changes.

I need to go do something to make me happy again.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 10:26 AM

What pisses me off more than the arrogance of those who think "I am too important to be ticketed" is the dickheads in the UK (where the top speed limit is 70 mph) who teararse up behind me, and flash their lights - "Move over and let me through - my journey is more important than yours".
They look quite amazed, and vexed when, according to time of day, when I hold up one finger, or two, as the case might be.

I never move over for these arrogant prats.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 10:35 AM

What does the time of day have to do with how many fingers you use?

You have to be careful with those hand signs in Texas or L.A. People are liable to shoot at you, I've heard.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Becca72
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 11:01 AM

That is a pet peeve of mine...people who drive in the passing lane and won't move over. If you're not overtaking or making a left hand turn (in the US) in the very near future then you have no reason to be over there. Move to the right and everyone is happy.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Gedpipes
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 11:03 AM

phew
would'nt it just be easier to move in and think some nice thoughts?

Mind you I do like the time-of-day finger image. I use five in a left to right motion.
Blue skies
Ged

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 11:11 AM

Over here, turning on one's flashers is not just for someone in trouble. It is used as a warning that a car is stopped, etc. The UPS drivers use it all of the time as they park in the middle of the road to unload. It's unreal! So...we use them any time we may have to stop in an unusual place, but only if there is no alternative.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Gedpipes
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 11:14 AM

flashers over here often, but not always, get arrested.;-)

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Wesley S
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 11:22 AM

I'm always amused when I see folks - esp around Christmas time - fight like crazy to get the closest parking space to the entrance of a shopping mall. Only to spend the rest of the day walking around inside that same mall.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 11:53 AM

...the law is the law and he can't be expected to knock on doors to ask if the car blocking a driveway belongs to the owner of the driveway.

This is the 21st Century. Where I live, no cop has to knock on a door to see if a vehicle belongs to the resident. He has a laptop which can match a vehicle's license plate number with its owner's name and address in a few seconds.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Don Firth
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 02:26 PM

I may be wrong, but it appears to me that a couple of people here are being a bit snide about folks who feel a touch of satisfaction at seeing rude, inconsiderate, and illegal drivers and parkers getting their due come-uppance. Well, let me put it this way:

Strap five pounds of metal to each leg, arranged in such a manner that you can't bend your knees. Then get yourself a pair of aluminum forearm crutches. Now, with this apparatus, you can either proceed laboriously by swinging your legs forward one at a time, or lifting yourself up with your shoulders and swinging both legs through. The latter is much faster, but it means that every step involves doing a push-up, which can get a bit tough on your shoulders.

Now. Try walking a couple of blocks while wearing this rig.

This might give you some idea of why one can feel a bit pissed at spotting some car without a "disable person" designation parked in a slot that's reserved for those who are genuinely disabled, and that would allow you to go where you need to go by walking, say, forty feet as opposed to two or three blocks.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 03:59 PM

For sure, Don. ;-) It cuts both ways, that's all. If one really wants to maintain a happy and peaceful state of mind and feel good...does it help to get on a talking jag where one is ranting on and on about the people and things in life that one hates? How does that affect one's state of mind as the minutes tick by?

I think that is the primary point that Gedpipes was raising...and the moment I saw it raised, I thought..."Hmmm. Well, I have to admit, Gedpipes, that you have a point there that is well worth considering..." ;-)

Understand? I empathize with both sides of the argument on this one. That's my philosophical nature...I like to consider both angles, and when I do I usually begin to see the funny side of my own and other people's tendency to rant.

Are we really defending all that is good and righteous here...or are we indulging ourselves in another little binge of bitching and complaining about other people?

A bit of both, I'd say.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Greg B
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 04:10 PM

What frosts me is when wife gets a disabled placard due to a legitimate
disability, but husband parks in the handicapped spots when she isn't
along, just because he can. Or the son or daughter. Or grand-kid.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Don Firth
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 04:18 PM

The bitching and complaining is not the goal. It's the means to an end.

A little bitching and complaining at something that needs to be bitched and complained about has a better chance of eventually creating a better world than being universally and placidly tolerant and accepting of absolutely anything and everything.

Trying to maintain an aloof and serene obliviousness renders one complicit.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 06:16 PM

To be serene is not to be oblivious nor to be helpless. It does not mean accepting things you don't find acceptable. Ever read any Taoist literature?

I prefer doing something constructive about a situation if I can...like rounding up the stray shopping carts, for example, as opposed to carping about the unknown persons who scattered them. And if I can't do anything constructive about it, then I'd rather focus on something positive instead (if I remember to keep my wits about me and not get hijacked by other people's negativity). But by all means, go on defending your position, Don. ;-) I'm listening.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: robomatic
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 07:53 PM

Pugh wrote:
What pisses me off more than the arrogance of those who think "I am too important to be ticketed" is the dickheads in the UK (where the top speed limit is 70 mph) who teararse up behind me, and flash their lights - "Move over and let me through - my journey is more important than yours".
They look quite amazed, and vexed when, according to time of day, when I hold up one finger, or two, as the case might be.

I never move over for these arrogant prats.

You, sir, are the arrogant prat. Now, a word about where you are parking . . .

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 10:08 PM

Uh-oh. Now it's getting personal. When the word "prat" or the word "tosser" appears in an argument with anyone from the UK, you know the gloves are OFF! Anytime now someone is going to call someone else a "stupid git" and it will spiral down rapidly from there into a really ugly situation....

We'll have to call Jimmy Carter and have a peace conference in order to defuse tensions.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Don Firth
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 10:41 PM

OUT! OUT! I'M GIVING THE WHOLE WORLD 24 HOURS TO GET OUT!!!

(That felt good!)

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Peace
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 11:06 PM

OUT OF WHAT?

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Don Firth
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 11:17 PM

Out of gas?

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 11:22 PM

LH, you'll know the gloves have really come off when some Glaswegian comes in and calls someone a c#%t!:-)

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Sorcha
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 11:38 PM

Me, I like the ones who pull into the Left turn lane (US), turn on the left turn indicator, and then STAY there for at least 4 good left turn spots!

I've been known to go just one mile per hour UNDER the speed limit on a 2 lane road just to slow people down (and piss them off too!)

Yea, I'm one of 'those other drivers'! LOL! Aren't we all at times?

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 11:47 PM

LOL! I like your attitude, Don. Let's see if the blasted World has the good sense to just push off now...

I just started a thread on UK expressions. Check it out. Lotsa fun.


The Glaswegian...you mean like that parrot, right, Kat? Remember the swearing parrot on YouTube?

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Dave Swan
Date: 13 Oct 07 - 01:45 AM

Bill, re: the photo you linked. That's a California plate and a four way hydrant valve, which is not often used anymore. I know the guys who did that. My colleagues responded as mutual aid on that fire. Great fun.

Just before I was hired, my department responded to a fire where a cop had parked his car directly in front of the nearest hydrant. The fire engine was able to push the cop car far enough out of the way to make the hydrant to hose connection. Apparently that maneuver wrecks the transmission of a cop car.

Pity.

D

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: GUEST,Bill D..(on vacation in Rural Virginia)
Date: 13 Oct 07 - 05:52 PM

LOL, Dave!...That is great. It's fascinating to put a real face on those images. I can see that it would have really been difficult to make the hose connection if trying to go AROUND the car.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Anne Lister
Date: 13 Oct 07 - 06:18 PM

We have disabled parents and in-laws to take around, frequently. They are issued with a blue badge to show they are registered disabled. There are specific parking spaces for disabled users and by law now these should be checked by the owners of the parking spaces to ensure the right people are in them. There's one restaurant we go to, fairly often, and we regularly find that all the disabled spaces are taken - which means a much longer walk to the restaurant. When we've asked about this, on more than one occasion the manager has said "oh yes, that's right - they're cars belonging to members of staff to stop people parking there illegally."   Duh .... My husband now has two little pads of notes to leave under the wipers of inconsiderate parkers. One pad is just a bright yellow "please don't do this again" type of thing. The other is remarkably sticky and takes a lot of getting off a window or windscreen - it carries a reminder that any one of us might have a disability at some point in our lives. I'd prefer to use the very sticky ones much more often but my husband is a tolerant soul.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: robomatic
Date: 13 Oct 07 - 07:17 PM

I have just returned from a lovely outing, but I got the call at 0800 this morning, and I absolutely, positively had to be 60 miles away by 0930. Hopped in the car, headed out to highway 5, got in the left lane and set the cruise control I can tell that the horrid Phew wasn't ahead of me because I not only did not have to blink lights nor sound horn, but everyone in my lane quite nicely moved to the right to let me pass, without exception. I, in turn, when I had no need to pass anyone, went to the right myself.

Got there at 0915.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 14 Oct 07 - 03:46 AM

It's amazing the difference in traffic where I live, during term and holiday times.

During holidays, my bus is on time, I can park outside my house and a 3 mile drive will take me 5 minutes.

During term time however, it's a completely different story. Then, the bus is held up and the same 3 mile drive will take me 25 minutes because of the sheer stupidity of people who drive their children to school (the majority of whom live within a mile radius) and who feel that across a corner on the pavement is a good place to park a 4X4 to let little Jimmy or Narinder out into the traffic, or double park immediately opposite the school gates, in the narrowest part of the road, so that their precious darling only has to run the gauntlett of crossing one road, rather than parking round the corner where there are no roads to cross but a whole 50 yards of pavement to walk.

If I had a penny for every time a car has parked or stopped on the yellow zig zag markings, right next to the sign that says 'No Parking', I'd be able to afford my own 4X4 by now.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 16 Oct 07 - 05:48 AM

Robomatic - it's Mr Pugh, or Sir, to you, you dickhead.

Thought that Phew was original ? Grow up. Are you really old enough to hold a driving licence ? Or were you behind the wheel of a pedal car ?

I use the outside lane when intending to turn right, but that won't mean anything to a Septic who drives on the wrong side of the road.

To the nice people in this thread, especially Don : I have found a good approach to those who park in a disabled space without lawful authority : 'You have my parking space - would you like my disability?' My wife and I have severe arthritis, and hold a blue badge each.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: GUEST,The black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 16 Oct 07 - 07:51 AM

Have you noticed any stealth disabled spaces?

I once parked in a space in a car park at night in the pouring rain. As I returned just as the rain stopped and the surface water drained away I found that I was in a disabled space. The only markings were on the tarmac and not visible because of the low level of illumination and the water.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: robomatic
Date: 17 Oct 07 - 07:50 PM

Mister poo (I never claimed to be original):

I did wonder if your initial post, about not yielding the passing lane to those who were, er, passing, was tongue deep in cheek. I decided to take it as writted, and you, uh, sir, have now erased all doubt.

I am sorry for your disabilities, particularly the one between the ears.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 18 Oct 07 - 05:47 AM

And you, Cur, have erased all doubt that I was correct in labelling you a dickhead.

Except to label you, Cur, a dickhead insults dickheads with the nous of a dead bluebottle.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: robomatic
Date: 18 Oct 07 - 07:37 AM

Ohhhh, noooo, linndle BLUEbottle has wetted cardboard shorts!!!!

exits left, singe-ing "iff meester puwe isst passing that dirrty big bus, why isn't he yielding to the right?"

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: jonm
Date: 18 Oct 07 - 07:42 AM

I am fortunate to be able-bodied. I often have a blue badge in my car and use it to park in disabled spaces, which sometimes gets me stern looks from the righteous.

However, I only do this if I am COLLECTING a disabled relative, which I do frequently.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: GUEST,HuwG at office
Date: 18 Oct 07 - 08:46 AM

Though not a great fan of the megastore and shopping mall (uurgh - Americanism alert!) I am now back in full-time work at a business park miles from any convenient small corner shop, and would starve to death unless I call in at Tesco just at the end of the road on my way back from work.

Tesco, to their credit, have disabled parking spaces just opposite the main entrance. Less creditably, they have arranged the traffic flow so that the halt, lame and crippled must negotiate a maelstrom of vehicles all fighting to be closest to the main entrance, or be the first to leave. Not that it matters. Unless the disabled all drive 4x4 turbo-charged armoured personnel carriers or red BMW sports cars these days, then I suspect those spaces are occupied by the callous instead. Tesco show little interest in patrolling these spaces, or indeed the teenagers using skateboards so as to create moving hazards for traffic, or the shopping trolleys which form impromptu slalom courses for vehicles and pedestrians alike.

There is a memorable police tale in the UK. A vehicle cannot be towed away, no matter how negligently or dangerously parked, if it contains an infant or an animal. One company car (it is sometimes very difficult to prosecute these, as it is easy to baffle authority as to who exactly was driving or in charge at any point) was regularly parked on a double yellow line ("No parking here at all. At all"), with a large doberman in the back. The police eventually forced a window open sufficiently to allow them to feed the animal, with a whole bar of Ex-Lax chocolate.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 18 Oct 07 - 08:55 AM

lucky dog - getting a whole chocky bar! Did the kind policepersons leave the wrapper for the owner to discover? (snigger, snigger).

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Don Firth
Date: 18 Oct 07 - 02:12 PM

City officials and departments really need to talk to each other now and then.

I was told recently of a large city in eastern Canada where they had an excellent program of putting wheelchair curb ramps [in English English: "kerb"] on every downtown corner and reserving a space or two right next to it for disabled parking. Then, another city department was hot on reducing downtown automobile congestion and encouraging people to ride bicycles. For the convenience of the bike riders, they installed bicycle racks on every corner.

But they positioned the bike racks so they blocked the curb ramp.

Apparently, it never occurred to anyone to wonder what the curb ramp was for. But I was told that once the boo-boo was reported, it got sorted out very quickly.

There is a curb ramp just a few blocks from my apartment where the postal service has place a large mail drop box on the sidewalk, and bolted it down, right in front of the ramp, blocking it. I reported it to the city engineering department a few years ago, but nothing has been done about it.

On the other hand, a few years ago, I called the city engineer just out of curiosity to ask a question. This time, I got someone in the department with a brain. "Why," I asked, "are there two curb ramps on the northwest corner of 12th Avenue and East Howell Street [a few blocks from where I live], but no curb ramps on any of the other three corners?"

He told me, quite reasonably enough, that they would like to put curb ramps on every corner in the city, but budget limitations, etc., so they tend to piggy-back installing curb ramps on other street construction. Then, he asked me if there were any corners near where I live, or travel regularly in my wheelchair—or would like to travel—where there are no curb ramps. So I listed a few and he made note of them. Lo! And, miraculously, behold! Within a couple of weeks, curb ramps started appearing on the corners I suggested! Very convenient. And much appreciated!!

But, of course, there is always someone around who unthinkingly tosses his cigar butt into the punch bowl. A few months after one of the new curb ramps was installed, the city traffic department decided to remove the stop light hanging over the middle of the intersection and install lights on light standards on all four corners. On one of the corners, the newly installed standard blocks one of the new ramps.

Fun and games!

Don Firth

P. S. Curb ramps are not just for the convenience of people in wheelchairs. Parents with kids in strollers also use them, and more than once I've seen elderly folks, or others, whose balance may be a bit unsteady make use of the curb ramp rather than hazarding a step off a curb.

And then again, kids on skateboards seem to be under the impression that curb ramps are for their exclusive use. While heading down a curb ramp to cross a street, I've been sworn at more that once by some juvenile little twerp on a skateboard when my presence just happened to impede his kamikaze attack. On another occasion, I nearly collided with a guy on a bicycle, apparently unaware that riding a bicycle on crowded sidewalk was not only dangerous but illegal.

And then, of course, there are the people who blythely and unobservantly park their cars in such a manner as to block a curb ramp. Ticketable offense, incidentally.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: robomatic
Date: 18 Oct 07 - 02:57 PM

And to compound the interplay of convenience with bloody nature, while Anchorage has many ramps, in Winter they are frequently focal points of slips, slides, and falls when coated with ice, thus becoming a convenience when the people whose fall they precipitated now need them for their crutches and wheelchairs.

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 18 Oct 07 - 06:22 PM

In the UK, we have our own version of Baywatch !

Kitty

Subject: RE: BS: A chat with the meter maid
From: Sorcha
Date: 18 Oct 07 - 06:34 PM

Winfield, Kansas, where I grew up, had concrete ramps on all 4 corners of every intersection. I have no idea if they have kept that up as the town has grown.

The city had regular wooden concrete forms that they used pouring the cement over a 'chock' placed up against the curb. Quite nice.