Another Christmas, Another Surrender

This blog is now a year old. I too am another year older and another year into my job as a Parking Control Officer (eight years in February). And I'm beginning to think that "control" should not be in our job title. How can you control a flood? How can you control a hurricane? How can control a mindless tide? I'm talking about the mindless tide of humanity.

People. People who don't read signs, who aren't able to figure out that you just can't block someone's driveway or a fire hydrant, who STILL don't know that red means NO. People who will do only what is most expedient for themselves and all others be damned.

You know, I consider myself a pretty smart guy. And to be quite honest, this job is really not much of a challenge. It's easy to write parking tickets. The only challenges come in the form of me trying to control myself, my temper, my tongue, my ulcer, my vehicle (when I see incredibly stupid driving in front of me).

Hm, so I guess that's it. That's the real control aspect of all this: me controlling myself. The only thing I really have any control over anyway.

So, as my step-daughter decorates the Christmas tree, my wife cooks up a yummy meal and Vince Guaraldi plays Charlie Brown music on the stereo, I'll just relinquish any attempts at control for another holiday season and simply appreciate what I have.

Happy holidays everybody.

10-7

Shout out

Check out a friend's blog that has nothing to do with parking (thank goodness)!

http://www.fadingad.com/fadingadblog/

But it is interesting.

Ofcr X

I had to pass this along

I just heard about this website and while as a professional I cannot endorse the rude language of the domain name, or the placing of anything on a person's car, behind my hands I'm snickering like crazy.

Here it is: www.youparklikeanasshole.com

By the way, I am in no way affiliated with this site. It isn't mine, darn it.

Officer X

"I'm not from around here."

I hear the title quote a lot. "I'm not from around here" a person will tell me, in English, as a request to excuse me from writing them a ticket. Wha? You are speaking to me in English (I suspect some Spanish-speakers of using their language as a way to tell me that they indeed do not speak or read English, but I don't always believe them), and I'm sure you can read English signs. All of our signs are in English but if there are two signs, the bottom one suddenly becomes some alien language that they not only can't read, but in some cases can't even see.

Really?

I don't care if you are from Minnesota, New York City, Orange County, or Australia, you too must follow the rules as delineated on those signs. Unless you are blind, then you shouldn't be driving should you? And you wouldn't be reading this would you?

Is the above quotation proof of extraterrestrial life, or just another mealy-mouthed excuse?

Sigh. I need some time off.

10-7