The People vs. Meter Maids. (not really an FTP thread for those who are menstruating)

[ram57ta]

Just imagine a world in the near future where people have gotten fed up with parking tickets, gas taxes, etc...they start riding bicycles or even walking to work...then they will invent a few more taxes to cover that one.....a tax for breathing the air, for walking on the ground...yeah...it will just go on and on....land of the free my ass.

[slow99]

You guys should really spend some time in SF, lmao.

[jdgregory84]

I remember when I listened to Adam Carollas podcasts on the regular he would always bitch about meter maids because parking tickets in L.A. were $60 or $80. Something ridiculous like that. I've had like one parking ticket in my life in Downtown Fort Worth, in 2006 when ironically I was paying a speeding ticket (also the last speeding ticket I've received). There wasn't a meter, there was nobody else around me, I wasn't blocking anything at all...in all honesty, I'm not even sure the ticket was deserved but there it was on my windshield. I think it was like a $25 citation or some shit like that. Just seemed pointless to me. I know the whole "If you let one person get away with it, then everybody will start doing it." Oh no! People are gonna be parked on the side of the street! Call in the Army, it's fucking anarchy. The legal system needs to get its priorities straight.

[jluv]

People abusing and harassing someone else just isn't funny to me. The meter maids are just doing a job, theres no point in making their life hell - they didn't write the law or city policy.

Someone just figured out how to be an asshole and do it under the guise of a "protest"/

The point of parking meters is not to generate revenue, the point is to keep people from hogging prime parking in busy areas. That's why you can't just feed a ton of money in at once (usually limited to a couple of hours). That's also why many meters only need to be fed during peak hours. In fact, my understanding is that they are not legal if they are installed to simply generate revenue.

I agree with all of this. Pay the tiny fee to have prime parking, and then let someone else have it for a while, OR park further away and walk, or take public transportation. Or, just risk the ticket - the fine is only $5 there.

There are obvious things wrong with our government, but this shouldn't make the list. People just like to bitch and moan about every little thing they can, and then you have clowns who want to make this their fight.

To me, it just seems like it must really suck to go through life stressed out and angry about every little bitty thing. It's a meter maid doing her job and the fine is only $5. Why not say something nice or high five them when you see them on the street? They aren't the enemy, and the big bad government isn't trying to screw that town's people with parking meters. Get a grip.

For what it's worth, I don't see a problem with these guys paying the meter tolls for others. That's cool. But why do they have to harass anyone while they do it? At that point, they aren't doing any good deeds.

[ELVIS]

surcharges.

god bless.

[Forever_frost]

Just imagine a world in the near future where people have gotten fed up with parking tickets, gas taxes, etc...they start riding bicycles or even walking to work...then they will invent a few more taxes to cover that one.....a tax for breathing the air, for walking on the ground...yeah...it will just go on and on....land of the free my ass.

Kind of like when the government decided we burned too much fuel so they started pushing up the price of gas and increasing CAFE standards while pushing electric cars and then, when the road funds started running out, they started looking at other fees and penalties to access to fund the things they pushed us away from.

[Forever_frost]

There are obvious things wrong with our government, but this shouldn't make the list. People just like to bitch and moan about every little thing they can, and then you have clowns who want to make this their fight.

.

The theory behind that is, this didn't just pop up overnight or by itself. Just as this encroachment has come little by little, so must the fight to push back hammer the camel's nose to force the animal back. It's like cops get pissed because someone is standing on a corner with a sign that reads "Cops behind this sign, slow down" and they get arrested. Is flicking cops on the nose with that sign going to change the world? Not really, at least not at first, but it's a flick in the eye that makes government blink. It's peaceful protest to a government that thinks it owns you and your money and your property and you are just leasing it until the government wants it back.

[jluv]

The theory behind that is, this didn't just pop up overnight or by itself. Just as this encroachment has come little by little, so must the fight to push back hammer the camel's nose to force the animal back. It's like cops get pissed because someone is standing on a corner with a sign that reads "Cops behind this sign, slow down" and they get arrested. Is flicking cops on the nose with that sign going to change the world? Not really, at least not at first, but it's a flick in the eye that makes government blink. It's peaceful protest to a government that thinks it owns you and your money and your property and you are just leasing it until the government wants it back.

Encroachment? A $5 fine for not paying a 50 cent meter toll? Come on dude.

Is it somehow more appropriate or more American to harass a simple meter maid over that shit?

Personally, I'm more worried about people like that being assholes to the common person just trying to go about their day and make an honest living. That seems like a bigger threat to the American culture than a parking meter.

[Nash B.]

The theory behind that is, this didn't just pop up overnight or by itself.

What events gradually led up to that?

It's peaceful protest to a government that thinks it owns you and your money and your property and you are just leasing it until the government wants it back.

What these clowns are doing isn't peaceful protest.

[Forever_frost]

Encroachment? A $5 fine for not paying a 50 cent meter toll? Come on dude.

Is it somehow more appropriate or more American to harass a simple meter maid over that shit?

Personally, I'm more worried about people like that being assholes to the common person just trying to go about their day and make an honest living. That seems like a bigger threat to the American culture than a parking meter.

Yes, it's an encroachment. Is it a big one? Not really but it ranks up there with having to go to city hall for a permit to remodel the bathroom in your home or before you add a deck to your house. Also goes up there with having to register a vehicle every single year, even if you've owned it a decade. Why does the state or anyone need to know I still have X car?

Is it more appropriate to harass a meter maid? That depends. IF she or he is wear a badge and carrying the ability to write tickets, expect harassment. Kind of like me putting on DCU's and going to Iraq. While I'm not expecting an all out firefight, pretty sure that there are some who don't like me around and are going to fuck with me. It's part of the job description. Know what I can't do? Cry about it.

I have no problem with an honest day's work but don't bawl when you write tickets and then get bitched at daily. Your job is to cost people money. That's it. You carry a ticket book solely to write tickets and cost someone money. You are ticketing the very people who paid for you to be there, your uniform, your badge, your neat machine, the sidewalk you're on, the street they're parking on and the vehicle you drive. You'd think public servants would have some humility for that.

[Forever_frost]

What events gradually led up to that?What these clowns are doing isn't peaceful protest.

Has anyone been assaulted? No. Have these meter maid's vehicles been set on fire? Nope. Do people give them a hard time? Of course.

What events led up to this? Let's count:

Traffic 'enforcement' that is there to write tickets but still take 40 minutes to respond to an emergency.

Traffic cameras that violate the 4th amendment as you cannot face your accuser.

Municipal fees and tolls to use roads the taxpayers paid for at least twice for the privilege of using them.

Property taxes that increase yearly

Permits to do anything to your property unless you live out in the sticks like I do.

Every law enforcement agency in the US having at least one SWAT and armored vehicles and full auto weapons while decrying Americans having the same.

Laws that apply to Americans but not to law enforcement. IF I park in a no parking zone, I get ticketed or towed. Cop does it to take a nap or catch up on paperwork, nothing happens.

[Nash B.]

Has anyone been assaulted? No. Have these meter maid's vehicles been set on fire? Nope. Do people give them a hard time? Of course.

Nonviolent and peaceful aren't the same thing.

What events led up to this? Let's count:

Traffic 'enforcement' that is there to write tickets but still take 40 minutes to respond to an emergency.

Traffic cameras that violate the 4th amendment as you cannot face your accuser.

Municipal fees and tolls to use roads the taxpayers paid for at least twice for the privilege of using them.

Property taxes that increase yearly

Permits to do anything to your property unless you live out in the sticks like I do.

Every law enforcement agency in the US having at least one SWAT and armored vehicles and full auto weapons while decrying Americans having the same.

Laws that apply to Americans but not to law enforcement. IF I park in a no parking zone, I get ticketed or towed. Cop does it to take a nap or catch up on paperwork, nothing happens.

At least half of those things came about well after parking meters.

[jluv]

I'd be okay having this debate with someone else, but I realize you're pretty nutty and you have a really good excuse for it. Keep on keeping on.

[Forever_frost]

I'd be okay having this debate with someone else, but I realize you're pretty nutty and you have a really good excuse for it. Keep on keeping on.

Duly noted and your thoughts in the matter are appreciated.

[Forever_frost]

Nonviolent and peaceful aren't the same thing.At least half of those things came about well after parking meters.

It's incremental. No one thing I posted would cause you to even blink but when they start stacking up..