Welcome To Hudson. Don't Even Think Of Parking Here.

 

What, if anything, do you suppose a police officer or parking enforcer is expected to do when they come across a situation such as above? (Picture taken yesterday afternoon.)  How about nothing, if only because there is no code violation to be had?  How many parking enforcers passed by the cans, do you suppose?  Did they see or ticket any cars parked in the space alongside the trash cans and pole on the ground? Was it all that shit at the curb on Monday as well?  (The 9-foot metal pole was heavy!)

If I understand things correctly, the common council will be voting on (and most certainly passing) the resolution to raise all parking ticket fees and overdue fees.  The money grab is on, if only because the city is desperate for funds and will take them where they most easily can without much pushback (who would one complain to anyway?  The mayor?).  The resolution came out of the Finance Committee, with members Margaret Morris and Rich Volo being the primary architects of the scheme, basing the increases primarily on what other cities and municipalities were charging for tickets. 

The fee for a WRONG SIDE PARKING ticket -- for parking in the way of the DPW street sweeper and snowplows, which HPD issues hundreds of every month -- will rise to $25 from $15.  If you don't pay within 90 days, the price is $100.  The almost comical thing is that Margaret Morris parks her car in her garage every night, not on 5th Street or on Union Street, and Rich Volo parks his car in his driveway along Long Alley, not on State Street. Why would either one of these elected officials ever park their car at night on a city street if they don't have to, particularly since they would both have to figure out what side of the street to park on to avoid being ticketed $15 or, soon enough, $25?  It's not like they don't have enough on their minds and plates these days trying to fix the city before it falls apart.   What's today's date?  What's tomorrow's date?  Is the number 3 odd or even?  They can't ticket me, can they?   

If you live on State Street, Warren Street or any other street where no overnight parking rule signs exist, where the rule and ticketing are always in effect anyway (unless a temporary weekend suspension is in effect), and your only option is to park your car on the street at night, I calculated that you have to pay attention to where you park your car for about 300 nights of the year (the monthslong annual weekend reprieve keeps the number from being about 360, considering holidays).  On some streets, including Union, where the rule is not in effect during the winter, there are only about 150 nights of the year to worry about.  And on Prospect Avenue, where DPW Superintendent Rob Perry and his family live, it's zero nights of the year.  There aren't even any signs on Prospect Avenue reminding residents and visitors that no overnight parking rule exists, just like there are no overnight parking rule signs on all of State Street where the rule is in effect for 300 nights of the year.  Both streets lack signs, yet one has an overnight rule and ticketing 300 nights of the year, while the other has no rule or ticketing ever.  DPW and HPD find this acceptable, and they are both probably overjoyed that the price that city residents will soon be paying for a WRONG SIDE ticket will finally be increased so that the problem of cars parking in the way of the street sweeper and snowplows is finally a thing of the past.  Of course, with the windfall of ticket revenue they still won't post any overnight parking signs on streets choked with cars parked overnight, like most of State Street. 

It turns out that Storm Avenue (one of its two blocks seen above) also has no overnight parking rule or signs, a problem that Rob Perry was made aware of in March at a meeting and immediately pledged to solve "easily" with overnight parking signs that would create the missing rule, allow HPD to ticket cars parked on the wrong side of the street, and allow DPW to plow and sweep the street properly, just like they do every night on State Street.  But after being questioned by me during last week's Infrastructure Committee meeting about why the signs he promised the committee seven months ago still hadn't appeared on Storm Avenue (he had said that the solution was going to be "easy"), he told the committee and the public that there was no need to have an overnight parking rule or signs on Storm Avenue.  Perry had completely changed his fucking tune, and we only found out about this because an astute city resident -- not a committee member -- who lives a half mile from Storm Avenue thought it was time to ask him what the hell was going on with the promise he made in March.  It's always illuminating and amusing -- to me, at least -- to ask Rob Perry for an explanation about something he's said or done, or, especially, not said or done.  And he didn't disappoint last week, either.

Our $125,000 DPW Superintendent began his "explanation" with some of his typical nonsense bullshit that I won't bother you with.  Then he offered a skillful deflection about the police department being involved (or, more accurately, not involved!), saying, "Quite honestly, nothing ever happened because we [HPD] never got around to discussing it. And it is what it is, right?  It's one block of one street." (In reality, Storm Avenue is two blocks long. Fairview to Aitken to Union Turnpike.)  In other words, according to Perry The Liar, nothing happened with the promise he made in March to resolve a problem only because he and Mishanda Franklin never bothered to talk about it. For seven months, no less!  Or they both came to the mutual agreement that it wasn't worth the bother because there was never an issue to be concerned about in the first place, regardless of what Rob Perry announced publicly in March.  And only now, 7 months later, is he letting the committee know that nothing happened or will happen with his promise about solving a problem he fully acknowledged.  That sounds like a city running like a properly functioning and well-oiled machine, don't it????  

And, furthermore, Henry Haddad and Jason Foster were fine with Rob's "explanation" of his promise that went nowhere at all and was nothing more than bullshit from the start.  If Rob Perry says that a street -- no matter its length -- doesn't need an overnight parking rule to keep cars out of the way of his street sweeper and snowplows, then it shall be. EVEN IF HE TELLS YOU HE WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!  If Rob Perry says that cars parked in the way of his street sweeper and snowplows are not a problem (which was his claim last week, albeit in reference to one street), then it must be the truth.  And Henry and Jason shall wholeheartedly agree, both fully aware that it is in their best interet to keep quiet in the presence of King Perry and never call him out on the bullshit he slings so regularly and unsubtly.  And if Rob Perry feels there is no need for an overnight parking rule or overnight ticketing by HPD on the street he lives on, then it shall be that way always, and there will be no pushback or sensible argument from any council or committee members.  And HPD will be in on the scam too.

If cars left parked every night on both sides of Storm Avenue are not an issue for Rob Perry or HPD, why is HPD ticketing parked cars overnight on State Street for 300 nights of the year but never on Storm Avenue? Or on Prospect Avenue where Rob Perry lives?  Hell, I don't know the answer!  I suggest you ask the friggin' mayor!!!!

The $10,000 parking kiosk (plus the monthly $100-plus "connectivity fee") on Warren near Park Place is still out of service and there is still no sign on it indicating its uselessness.  It's been DEAD for at least 14 weeks due to an inoperable solar panel that didn't last four months in the sun, perhaps not even three.  

I took this picture at 11 am this morning: