This weeks snowfall has brought out the best and worst in some of us. While some people donned heavy mits and scarves to help their neighbours dig out, others thought it more practical to call 311 and complain about neighbours parking in their spots. Parking Enforcement informed us that this sort of "311 abuse" has been happening with increased frequency and that they are now monitoring all call sources and flagging frequent callers. This week one of our own has called 311 to have his neighbour's vehicle ticketed. Fortunately, the good folks in Traffic and Engineering were alerted and called to get the scoop. They know two things: That Monmouth Road is primarily "street parking" which is aggravated with heavy snow conditions and they know that the 311 caller is a regular. Their suggestion is that we have to be more neighbourly. A novel concept.
The obvious etiquette here is to communicate with your neighbours. If something offends you or if someone is infringing on you in anyway then speak directly to that neighbour in question. Chances are good that he or she will gladly oblige. Calling 311 is just malicious and has no place in such a community where everyone is on a first name basis. It serves no purpose other than to create suspicion and animosity between residents. Thats not what this hood is about. In the mean time, if the given parking conditions on Monmouth Road continue to vex you then try to vent your frustration through a different channel like shoveling the sidewalks in front of your home.
14 comments:
Nice.
it seems to me that you aren't too concerned about spreading "suspicion and animosity" as you have posted this story for the whole block to see. instead of being a "squeeler" (sic) yourself, why don't you just correct the problem? i assume it is related to your two cars that haven't moved in months. i could see how that would irk someone. i'm not trying to be a jerk, it just seems that telling everybody about it makes you an animosity, suspicion-spreading squealer yourself.
To Anonymous...This is not the first time that we've had to post about people being nasty about parking. The intent here is to try and make certain people understand that on this street there is nothing you can do about the given, on-street parking arrangement. That is, unless you park in back of your home. What good does it do to get wrapped around the axle about cars parked on the street? If they are legal then it doesn't matter how long they are parked there. Your house hasn't moved over the last few years either. What's the difference? For the record, it wasn't all that long ago when parking was only allowed on one side of this street. We had to lobby to get parking for both sides. Of coarse most people didn't want to live here at that time anyway. Our dedication to the reclamation of this hood has made it desirable enough to attract even you. So now we have yet another growing pain. Get on board and be a part of the solution. There is no need to be a malicious weenie. No need to be a coward either. If someone's car is bothering you then talk to them. Whats so hard about that? By the way anaonymous...Who said anything about two cars and why are you so concerned about mine?
The real rat is the rat that rat's on the rat.
It's obvious then that we need to befriend the real rat for only he knows who the X-gen rat is.
Oh my gosh, Mr. Mayor! I can't believe that someone is so stupid as to think he or she has a designated parking spot on our road! I used to have an irate neighbour who was beyond the limit when it came to that idea, and even though they had two cars, they figured the area in front of our houses was their 'driveway' (honestly, that's what she told me!) and she went ballistic if someone parked in it. I got so sick and tired of that attitude and lack of consideration I finally (calmly) told her that ANYONE can park on our street, even they live five blocks away, or in the West End, for that matter. Public means public, right? After living in New York City, I figure finding a parking spot within walking distance is a plus. Actually, we're pretty bloomin' lucky to be able to park on both sides of the street.
I have not posted on this blog subject. I will now, with 2 questions.Is our neighbourhood actually neighbourly? Should the blog list anonymous comments? The blog should debate neighbourhood issues
in a constructive, accountable and positive way in the future.
WOW, just finished watching Desperate Housewives on Wisteria Lane.
Monmouth shares Very similar characters & plot to the show. MINUS the sex, murder & good looking neighbors.
Can't wait for next weeks show. Will the Rat be identified? Will more vehicles mysteriously disappear? Possibly a divorce will result from a past pig roast fling?
Stay Tuned for more Monmouth Mayhem...
Yeah...
Go green. Seems that parking gets under more skin on this street than anything else. The only solution is to dump the Rangers and the Mazdas and get a bike. Put parking spaces on the endangered species list and save the planet. Wisteria Lane? Those people really are glam. I'm blue.
i think we're on to something... maybe the "311 rat" was a character used to drive up ratings... it seems to have worked! tune in for our next installment, "The Monster Who Slept In On Street Cleaning Day!"
I went to the outside the other day and when I came out there was a damn cop writing a parking ticket. So I went up to him and said, 'Come on buddy, howabout giving a guy a break?' He ignored me and continued writing the ticket. So I called him a pencil necked nazi. He glared at meand started writing another ticket for having bald tires!! So I called him a horse shit. He finished the second ticket and put it on the car with the first. Then he started writing a third ticket!! This went on for about 20 minutes, the more I abused him, the more tickets he wrote. I didn't give a damn. My car was parked around the corner...
For those who need the practice please click the link.
Well...Parking, as usual has lived up to it's ranking as the number one "hot button" for area residents. Every time we post about parking problems we get a similar tsunami of comments and in the end they always seem to morph into fanciful humour. It seems like it's something that we just have to get off our chests once and a while. We vent and capitulate to what is. Could we have self corrected? From the comments viewed here one might postulate maybe. The exchange of thoughts has actually been quite fun and telling. Hmmm...another indication of "community"?
All comments have been excellent. Thanks to anonymous for the correct spelling of "squealer" (french variant of adverb [sic]) and thanks pp-patrol for the fun lesson on parqallel parking. Something we can all use. See everybody out there!
I thought I should report to you from my current home base...Southern California. FYI, it's sunny, with a slight breeze off the Ocean. About 68 degrees. I don't think they have shovels our here. I also have neighbors. I can't complain about them. But if I knew them, I'm sure I'd hate em! I'll be back in the hood soon, so please be kind. A smile, a wave or parking smart is always a welcoming sign on Monmouth. (Please note sarcasm)
In my old neighborhood I was one of a very few who had a driveway. There was heavy competition for on-street parking and I didn't dare put my car on the road unless I absolutely had to. When I did, I parked thoughtfully, ie. not straddling an area where there is room for two cars. Now the coin is turned and I live on a street where I am one of the few with no driveway - and most of my neighbors put their cars on the road, sometimes for days, and if they can turn two spots into one, or three spots into two, they will. If people in this city only used their brains when they parked their cars the availability of spaces would go up by 1/3. If you have a spot behind the house or in the driveway, use it if you can. If you have to park in the road, position your car so there is room in front or behind it for another, if possible. Just don't see much common sense, no wonder neighbors get cheezed off with each other about this.
Post a Comment