Letting people go

I must relate this occurrence while it is still fresh, although fresh is a bad word to use because it completely stinks. I marked a green zone today which allows for ten minute parking. We give about fifteen. So because I was busy, I came back about a half hour later. I figured the zone would be clear. To my surprise, there was a vehicle still there and still marked. I pulled to the curb and got out, prepared to write the ticket. Of course the guy came out of the business. He gets into the car and as he does so I tell him that green zones are for ten minute parking only. He says nothing except "Okay". Then he asks me "Are you going to give me a ticket?"

I don't know what possessed me, but I decided to give the guy a break although he was already rubbing my rectum the wrong way. So I said, "No, sir, but please be more careful in the future." Does he say thank you? No. He is a selfish moron. As he drives past me he points to the vehicle that was in front of his (which is about one third into the green zone - it's ticket-able but kind of on the edge, you know?) and says "That guy's been here fifteen minutes."

Oh, how I wish I could have said one of a thousand things I was thinking. What I did say was, "I'm monitoring it, sir." I couldn't help but hear the venom in my voice.

Well, this putz drives away and what drives me crazy is: why in the world didn't I cite this guy? He certainly deserved it and he knew it! It's unexplainable even to myself.

All this does, at times, is make me be harder on the next person which I hate to do. I'm telling you, controlling myself is the hardest part.

Okay. Deep breath. I let him go and now I have to let this go.

Beer? You betcha!

Ten-Seven.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Happy New Year, citizens. At least, I hope it's going to be happy.

Some things have changed (some, unfortunately have not). Firstly, one of my colleagues passed away from that old devil, cancer. We were almost exactly the same age. She was a trusted friend and ally in a sometimes contentious job world. I miss her terribly. We would have lunch together and vent about all kinds of things: the job, our fellow PCOs, the bad-parking public, and just our lives (and loves) in general. She had a boisterous laugh and that is what I'll remember, and miss, about her most.

The other thing that has changed is my schedule. This is not unusual in police work, but I'm not a policeman. We are civilians who work for the police department. Anyway, I now have to work an hour later into the evening and it sucks. On the bright side, I have every Wednesday off. Which sucks for making travel plans. On the bright side, I can take a Tuesday off after a major or minor Monday holiday (Hello? [cough, cough] I'm not feeling well today), and have five days off in a row. Which sucks because I have to burn an hour of accrued time in order to get the tenth hour off on the minor holiday - um, never mind. If I try to explain it all to you, you'll get a headache - mine. Bookkeeping was never my strength and when it involves Time, it's even more confusing. With Time, first you earn then you burn. Hm, sounds like a life-lesson.

In any case, it all takes some adjusting. I hate adjusting. But, humans are nothing if not adaptable and believe it or not, us parking control types ARE human.

We wear a blue uniform shirt and I can tell you, so far this year, some of the blue has seeped through to my soul. Oh well. Bad rehearsal, good performance, right? Let's see how the rest of the year goes from here.

Ten-Seven

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

It's Almost Here

No, I'm not talking about Christmas. It's true you are hearing loads of Christmas music, sales pitches and the like now that Thanksgiving is over, but that's not what I'm talking about.

I have been posting mercilessly about the fine and not-so-fine citizens of my little California town for a while now and I think it's time to give you all a little present - something I'm sure you've been wondering about, asking for and yes, maybe in your own sick and twisted little way praying for. I'm going to start writing about my colleagues. I've been sticking it to the citizenry long enough (although lord knows they deserve it), but what about US? Not ME of course, but US. The few, the proud, the over-zealous.

Starting soon I will be posting as many stories I think I can write, without being fired or sued over, about my fellow PCOs.

And heaven help us all. Stay tuned.