It's The Regard For Beauty and Professionalism That Impresses Me Most

 

I'm pretty certain that I listened to every minute of every meeting of the now defunct Ad Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Parking Study Committee, whose sole mission was to get modern parking kiosks on our sidewalks to finally rid the city of the trusty, inexpensive and user-friendly parking meters that only left us with the dreaded "tyranny of the quarter"* that Hudson residents have been living with and feeling the effects of for far too long.  (You didn't know?)  There was no shortage of discussions between the hired parking consultant and committee head Jen Belton (and others) about signs related to the kiosks, particularly as the committee was winding up its work. (Apparently, the two were also in contact between meetings making arrangements for signs.)  During those several meetings, however, I never once heard the parking consultant or any committee members utter the words TAPE, ORANGE TAPE, PAINTER'S TAPE or ZIP TIES.  No, not once!  Can you imagine?

 

The ticketed car in the picture (taken yesterday) was the first one that I've seen in a city parking lot that has been ticketed for a "meter" violation since parking meters were removed last week in 3 of the 5 downtown parking lots.  (It could have been the first of its kind!) When the driver noticed there was no longer a parking meter to put a quarter or three into, they must have thought something was amiss.  Or maybe they thought the meters were out for maintenance.  Or maybe that parking was now free in the lot.  Whatever they may have thought, can you blame the driver for not noticing or reading the plastic laminated 8 x 11 sheet of paper zip tied (with just one!) to a NO PARKING ANY TIME sign a few spaces away telling them that kiosks now rule the city's parking lots?  Sure, you bet we can blame them!  Issue the fucker a $10 ticket for parking in the lot, not paying attention to the paper and plastic "sign" fluttering in the breeze, and not paying for their parking space!  

Now what?

Perhaps that paper and plastic sign could use some fluorescent orange tape (and another zip tie!).  Wouldn't that make sense?  Would the parking consultant the city hired think that more orange tape and zip ties are what Hudson needs to finally rid us all of the tyranny of the quarter?

* On at least two occasions at Parking Study meetings, I heard committee member Tom Depietro claim that the big problem related to the city's parking meters was "the tyranny of the quarter."  He actually said this.  At least twice! I don't know if Tom came up with that term on his own or if other municipalities have been dealing with the "tyranny of the quarter" for years and it is an actual thing, but he seemed to be implying that everyone parking downtown hated the meters because they only accepted quarters, a form of payment that was not only antiquated and annoying but also happened to be crippling the city financially.  And so, in early February, 16 parking kiosks at a cost of $139,000 were delivered to the city, all of which, it turns out, do not accept paper money but will accept quarters for those wanting to pay in cash.  6 of those $10,000 kiosks are on our sidewalks, 4 or 5 of them are "up and running," including 3 which are covered in small, plastic laminated paper signs with the help, of course, of fluorescent orange tape and blue painter's tape.  Apparently, the remaining 10 parking kiosks that do not accept paper money are still in a storage shed somewhere on Dock Street.

Tyranny, indeed.