Thursday, February 07, 2008

Selective Service

It always makes me feel good when our public officials are doing their duty. Like removing cars impeding snow plows.

That makes sense, but we have had so much snow there are two problems. One, since you're not supposed to push snow into the street and you're supposed to keep your sidewalk shoveled, just where is this snow to be deposited? And two, if you are able to dig your car out, where are you supposed to move it? Okay, I know, clear your driveway, if you have one, and park it there. In many of the problem areas, however, garages are in alleys - not excessable - due to snow! Just ask the trash pickup folks who can't navigate them and instructed residents to get their trash to the front of their homes.

C'mon, give folks a break. Or enforce parking regulations all year 'round so residents know they best not get caught by the winter monster.

For example, the police spokeswoman stated 55 vehicles had been identified as abandoned. Now I'm not sure how long a car has to sit in one place without being moved for it to be so designated, but I do know that a car had been removed from in front of a school - that had been there since August! Another, in front of a private residence, had been there since June!

It's not enough when the owner of the towing company says about having to tow peoples cars, "It's not a good thing, but they should abide by the law and get them off the street in the first place."

The ordinance is on the books. Where are the police before emergency circumstances occur? Waiting for waist deep snow is a lousy time to start enforcing the law.

Oh, yeah, might I add one more time - it took reading both papers to get all the information!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have a very wide driveway. 5 cars abreast easily, with room left over. There is now so much ploughed snow piled, that the distance is barely 3 cars wide and closing rapidly. The street I live on has become a single lane street and won't even be that for long. The homes in downtown CDA are mostly older, with one car garages and a driveway only large enough to accomodate that. So if my large area is on the cusp, where indeed are these poor people to put their cars. It is all well and good to state that people must obey the law...but where, pray tell, are they to stash their vehicles. Before you tow cars and charge people for the privilege, might it not be a good idea to give them viable alternatives? Bite your tongue Camellia, this is CDA we're talking about.

Anonymous said...

No one is fined when Government Way loses a lane because 'they' are so slow to clean up their own mess until they absolutely have to - but give them enough time to think of a way and they will turn into Nazi's once again.