Ten Bucks For A Quarter

When you live in a city, it’s become traditional that you will slip coins into the erectile open-mouthed, all-seeing, pole-sitting, time-counting meter at the curb. If you don’t, or if the all-seeing closes its eyes, the Meter Maids (female or male) will come by with their fresh violation books.

Ten bucks because you forgot a quarter.

Question #1: Why do we pay to park our car on the side of the road? Not everybody has to do this; only those for whom the city decides parking is a premium. Own the city, pass a law, make money. Simple as that.

Question #2: Suppose we all rose up and said, “Mayor Leighton, Tear Down These Meters!” Would he do it? Or would the loss in revenue have him tell us to take a walk?

Question #3: I know when some meters around town get their once- or twice-over. But the meters near the colleges seem to attract the Meter Cops like ants at a picnic.

Question #4: Around this college, we have to plow the streets (five of them) ourselves, or there’ll still be snow in late-March. That being the case, and our $52m budget which goes, in large measure, locally, you’d think we’d get a pass from the Ticket People.

Ten bucks to a quarter. 40-1 are lousy odds.