St. John’s vs. drivers in ongoing parking strife

In a Telegram article (April 20), St. John’s municipal Coun. Debbie Hanlon is reported to have said that people should not be gloating about free parking at vandalized parking meters. For those looking for illicit drug money, she says the meters contain no more than $15, yet cost $475 each to replace with an overall loss, to date, of $1.5 million.

I suggest that there are a number of downtown issues, not all related to parking, which has contributed to public enmity.

The resulting smugness and, perhaps to a certain extent the vandalized meters themselves, are the result of this discord.

In a city ideal for walking the council turned a blind eye when the St. John’s Harbour Authority scandalously turned the harbour front apron into a see-in-only gated community worthy of an upscale Los Angeles suburb.

In many locations parking spaces infringe on crosswalks. On Duckworth Street near Bates Hill there are actual allotted parking spaces immediately adjacent to the crosswalk to George Street making it very difficult, especially in diminished light, for motorists to see someone darting out behind parked vehicles.

This and the general tendency for motorists to ignore pedestrians in crosswalks often leads to acrimony.

Education or fines regarding jaywalking appear to be non-existent or unenforced. The cost of parking is expensive especially at private lots. Parking meters often don’t work with coin or pay cards or allow for sufficient time. Snow banks often make meters accessible only to alpine goats. Inaccessible sidewalks create havoc for people with disabilities. And let’s not leave out unsympathetic municipal parking officials.

The parking meter problems are exacerbated by the negative attitude which exists between parking enforcement and the public. The prevailing “got you” attitude by personnel on a perceived “ticket mission” has bred deep public resentment and contempt.

The lack of common sense used this winter in towing the vehicles of low-wage workers and bar patrons on Duckworth and Water Streets when there was no snow to be plowed is an example of such disregard.

That the pilot project could not accommodate a “no snow no tow” provision is simply indicative of inadequate consideration. One worker who was depending on tips and whose supervisor wouldn’t allow him to leave early was 10 minutes late for the beginning of the parking curfew and arrived to find his car already towed. This oversight cost him a taxi ride home and a $275 fine. Ouch!

In summer and fall, trespassing motorcycles parked on Water Street in the evening are particularly targeted by overzealous parking employees.

The city could easily deal with this perennial thorn by instituting a policy whereby two or three vehicle spaces were reserved for motorcycles only from 6 p.m. to midnight. The problem would be solved and goodwill engendered.

Instead, the indignant, prosecutorial tone creates distrust and animosity.

The city, therefore, has much to do to improve public relations with regard to its parking policies and enforcement.

A more supportive public would undoubtedly help repel and report meter vandalism. It would discourage thieves from using such destructive means to obtain small profit. And it would go a long way to curtail the reported gloating.