Glendale Parking
Now personally, I can just see them hovering around and around the block, hunched over their stirring wheel, ever alert looking for
someone to slip up! It seemed to be almost forever then, "Ah Ha, it's been months and he finally forgot to display his permit." Several
parking enforcement vultures descended rapidly and after a brief struggle, one proud vulture wrote the ticket. They all flew or drove away
saying "Ha, Ha, Ha, money in the bank!"
On top of the parking greed, as I walked to my local (international) coffee shop, I noticed two Glendale police cars parked near by. Both
the vehicles were still running, the engines idling.
When I returned, after having purchasing my coffee, the cars were still there and the engines were still idling.
Now, as I look at things and this is all about how I see it, the idling engines were wasting gasoline that cost over three dollars per gallon!
“Tax payer’s money going up in smoke” is a phrase I have heard before.
Of course there is probably a “quick response” policy that required them to “keep the motor running Joe!” So I will not harp on the waste
of tax money, the citizens’ money.
So, having voiced my dissatisfactions let me get to the new ideas.
First the simple on, turn off the cars while you are on break! That’s easy.
When I crank my engine, it starts is a second or less. I’d suspect it takes longer to find your keys than to crank the engine.
The next point requires a “leap of intuition” and so this will never happen.
I would propose that the great city of Glendale, remove all the parking meters near Brand and Colorado. Ideally, the city should remove
all the meters from the entire city. Now of course, this would just allow more shoppers to come to town.
The city could use this as a major public relations advertising campaign! They could make Glendale the friendly city (that isn’t blood
thirsty for parking ticket revenue)!
I like the city of Glendale but I don’t like the viperous parking regulations!
Wishing Glendale a better life and fewer hungry vultures to feed.
Carl Watts
To make comments, click here! Return to Updates Return to Comment On the Times Index
- This is a new column that I am starting out of dissatisfaction with the culture
and in an attempt to inject some new ideas!
I got the idea from this sign:
What the parking enforcement, revenuers do, is go down the street and note
the license plates and if you’re in the block more than two hours, you get a
ticket!
Now personally, over the years, I have received three parking tickets.
Not trusting the competence of the city, I always mailed my payments in
promptly and sent them certified mail, return receipt requested.
Each time, after my check cleared, I received a notice stating that if I didn’t
pay the ticket, the fine would double.
I always responded in writing as I felt this was attempted extortion. I never
received any response from the city.
The city of Glendale, California, is greedy on their parking revenue to the point
of restricting business and, in my opinion, creating a bad public relationship
with the citizens of Southern California.
- This type of greed makes Glendale seem unfriendly to people that don’t think
about using a parking structure or can’t afford to use a parking structures. Or
to those of us who simply mess up on how long we park or where. I don’t
consider myself a criminal which is how I’d be treated should I fail to pay the
ticket!
- 4/14/08 I had to edit this to add the comments of a reader about an experience he had in Glendale.
"I was fined for parking outside my own house and I had a permit. My crime? Not displaying it!"
Now personally, I can just see them hovering around and around the block, hunched over their stirring wheel, ever alert looking for
someone to slip up! It seemed to be almost forever then, "Ah Ha, it's been months and he finally forgot to display his permit." Several
parking enforcement vultures descended rapidly and after a brief struggle, one proud vulture wrote the ticket. They all flew or drove away
saying "Ha, Ha, Ha, money in the bank!"
On top of the parking greed, as I walked to my local (international) coffee shop, I noticed two Glendale police cars parked near by. Both
the vehicles were still running, the engines idling.
When I returned, after having purchasing my coffee, the cars were still there and the engines were still idling.
Now, as I look at things and this is all about how I see it, the idling engines were wasting gasoline that cost over three dollars per gallon!
“Tax payer’s money going up in smoke” is a phrase I have heard before.
Of course there is probably a “quick response” policy that required them to “keep the motor running Joe!” So I will not harp on the waste
of tax money, the citizens’ money.
So, having voiced my dissatisfactions let me get to the new ideas.
First the simple on, turn off the cars while you are on break! That’s easy.
When I crank my engine, it starts is a second or less. I’d suspect it takes longer to find your keys than to crank the engine.
The next point requires a “leap of intuition” and so this will never happen.
I would propose that the great city of Glendale, remove all the parking meters near Brand and Colorado. Ideally, the city should remove
all the meters from the entire city. Now of course, this would just allow more shoppers to come to town.
The city could use this as a major public relations advertising campaign! They could make Glendale the friendly city (that isn’t blood
thirsty for parking ticket revenue)!
The incease in shopping and business revenue should increase city taxes thus off
setting the loss of parking meter and parking ticket revenue. The removal of the
meters would also free up personnel from the thankless job of stalking motorists
who park on the streets for too long. Of course they could retire the numerous
vehicles, all the maintenance of those vehicles, and all the attending cost.
Any positive, forward thinking, ideas will be met with resistance. Politicians don’t
want much change as someone may notice they aren’t doing anything.
So I would challenge the leaders of Glendale to look to a future with less
suppression on the parking situation and injecting more life into the shopping and
business transactions of the great city of Glendale.
I like the city of Glendale but I don’t like the viperous parking regulations!
Wishing Glendale a better life and fewer hungry vultures to feed.
Carl Watts
To make comments, click here! Return to Updates Return to Comment On the Times Index
page created 2/22/08, page modified
9/6/08, 11/8/08
9/6/08, 11/8/08
