Parking dibs are out of control in Trenton
In famous western film High Noon, former marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper) prepares to leave the small town of Hadleyville, New Mexico, with his new bride, Amy (Grace Kelly), when he learns that local criminal Frank Miller has been released from prison.
Miller intends a big payback for Marshal Kane who enlists deputies to fight the outlaw but the people of Hadleyville turn cowardly before the big showdown.
Kane stands to face Miller and his posse alone.
Welcome to High Noon in Trenton, specifically Chambersburg where residents have brought out every piece of furniture to preserve parking spaces.
First, and most importantly, it’s against the law and law-abiding citizens should understand the simplicity of this matter.
These illegal land grabs may register as understandable but just because a person is first to shovel should not be underscored as acceptable claims.
Consider this. A neighbor clears a space on the block then heads off to work leaving a chair, cone, sofa, grandmother (abuela) or other person to guard the hallowed ground.
You come home for lunch and no place exists to park? Not happening.
“We never put out cones or a trash can to hold a spot but eventually our neighbors were claiming spots and we had no place to park. We got frustrated, so, now we claim out spot, too,” a Chambersburg friend explained.
Dibs for sweat equity may sound perfectly reasonable but such practices appear as dysfunctional behavior. Sorry, Charlie. These are the breaks that come with living in the city.
A person could reserve his or her parking space year-round simply by leaving buckets, trash cans or other items in these spots.
City residents lack the intelligence to know that if every resident on each block moved their car, then a plow could drive through and clean each street curb to curb.
Trenton streets should not look like any aisle in a furniture outlet store.
Furthermore, city officials should enforce this law. Trenton struggles because people do not respect rules and regulations.
Chambersburg and other areas are covered in discarded mattresses, car tires, and overrun by despicable landlords who rent out crap holes for exorbitant prices based on knowledge that government leaders refuse to stand for what’s right.
If city officials, elected or otherwise, lack courage to enforce rules, laws and regulations then remove them from office or employment.