Street Sweeper Ticket Waived--Thank YOU!!

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

I went to the Police Department as requested to speak with the Chief about the ticket I received for dropping off my mom at the Day Care while the street sweeper went by.

The Chief took the ticket and said he would take care of it. He explained that many residents had been calling and were angry that people didn't move their cars for the street sweeper and the officers decided to give tickets regardless of the situation.

He apologized for the inconvenience and said he wished the officer had used some discretion in this case.

I'm just thankful that the Chief took the time to check into the situation and told me he would take care of the ticket. He told me that this was the last street sweeping for the year.

I said, "You can be sure that next year when the street sweeper begins his job, I'll sit back and wait until he passes no matter how many officers wave me on by."

He chuckled, shook my hand, apologized again, and we both told each other to have a nice day.

Thank you!!

Ticket--Still Waiting

Wedenesday, August 29, 2007

I never received a call from the Chief about that ticket yesterday so I called again this morning and left another message with dispatch. Dispatch said he did forward the message and had no idea why I hadn’t received a call back.

The ticket indicates that fines must be paid within 15 days or further legal action would be taken. I figured the Chief must have had a busy day yesterday and today because by 3, I still hadn’t received a call back. I called the direct number for the police station and received the administration office. The lady there told me that she did give him the message and she would be sure to have him call me back. I guess at this point I’ll be waiting until tomorrow. Not sure when his shift ends.

Mom was exhausted again when I picked her up at Day Care. She knows nothing about the ticket and I didn’t bother telling her.

I made a nice dinner of chicken, noodles, peas and carrots and diet pudding. Mom liked it all, but ate only a few bites of each. She said she wasn’t hungry and was tired.

She's asleep now, so I plan to stretch out on the bed and catch up on my rest.

Street Sweepers and Designated Patient Drop Off Area—Parking Ticket

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

I didn’t get much sleep last night between being stressed out from my brother’s ridiculous accusation and Mom getting up six times during the night with nightmares and needing help going to the bathroom.

The alarm rang at 6:00 and my feet were on the floor and ready to start the day anyway. Performed all the usual tasks of getting Mom ready and drove her to the Day Care. I turned down the street two blocks from the Day Care as I always do and saw the street sweeper sweeping the street. A police car was parked behind the sweeper and two police officers were walking and ticketing each car that hadn’t moved overnight. I sat behind the police car waiting. They police motioned me past and I stopped and waited behind the street sweeper. The driver of the street sweeper motioned me past, too.


The Day Care was two blocks away. I pulled up to the “patient drop off” sign, helped Mom out of the car, and walked her to the door five feet away. I figured since it was a “patient drop off” only and the sidewalk was marked with yellow lines for that purpose, I thought the officers would use a little discretion. The officers and street sweeper were a half block away and watched me walk her into the Day Care. They knew I wasn’t parked there overnight. By the time Mom and I were in the door and I came back out, the street sweeper by-passed my car. As I walked out and was about to get in my car, the officer pulled up behind my car, put his lights on, and said, “Hold up a minute, Maam.”

“You’re not going to give me a ticket, are you?” I asked. “This is a patient drop off,” I said, pointing to the sign.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “The street sweeper had to go around your car.”

“You watched me pull up. My mother has Alzheimer’s and I was dropping her off at this Day Care. It isn’t like I’m one of the bozo’s who live here and choose to ignore the sign every week and don’t bother moving their cars.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he said and walked away.

The head of the Day Care watched from the door. She shook her head and summoned the second officer from across the street.

“Can you help this lady?” she asked. “She wasn’t parked here overnight, she was dropping off a patient, one of my clients.”

“We can’t void these tickets. You’ll have to take it up with the Chief.”

I threw my hands up in the air, shook my head and said, “Oh well, just what I needed this morning, more inconsiderate people. Where is the compassion in this world?”

I hopped into my car and put my seatbelt on. Then, before I turned on the ignition, I leaned my head against the steering wheel and cried. After dealing with my brother’s nonsense and inconsiderateness the night before, and first thing in the morning receiving a $25 ticket from an officer who could have used a little discretion, I was at my wits end.

I drove to the police department and picked up the red phone. Dispatch answered and said they’d send someone to open the door. No one came. I waited fifteen minutes before giving up, getting in my car, and heading home.

On the drive from the police station to my house I thought everything I try to do turns to shit. I felt like giving up on everything because nothing I did mattered and no matter how hard I try, something or someone always kicks me in the teeth to knock me back a few steps. Half way home, my inherited, “get up and keep going” attitude kicked in.

With me, when something goes wrong, first I feel hurt and cry. Once the crying is over, the anger sets in. If I have time to get over the anger and I think about the situation, my determination to make things right kicks into first gear.

I didn’t walk into the living room and tell Two Feather I was home as I usually do when I arrive. Instead, I picked up the phone and dialed dispatch again, explained the situation, and asked that they tell the Chief to return my call. I was told he gets into the office around 9:00 AM and he would probably call me back later today.