Spaces Meant For All, For Brief Stay
Dear Readers: A while back, I printed a sweet letter from a reader in Carbondale, Ill., who suggested ways that people could perform random acts of kindness. One suggestion was paying the toll booth fares for the commuters in line behind you. In my response, I mentioned that a grandmother in Cincinnati had put a quarter in a nearly expired meter to prevent some stranger from getting a ticket. She was arrested promptly and charged with disorderly conduct for obstructing official police business.
Apparently, putting money in an expired meter is against the law in Cincinnati. This law did not make a lot of sense to me, so I asked my readers to please explain it. Well - did they ever! Hundreds of them. Keep reading:
From Honolulu: This is a response to your question, “Why is it against the law to feed the meters in Cincinnati?” Here’s why: Parking meters were established not only in Cincinnati but everywhere to allow short-term parking in busy areas. If a driver is allowed to feed the meter all day long, some people would never be able to find a place to park and complete their business. Now do you get it?
Clinton, Miss.: Apparently, your readers need to be informed that parking meters are installed in downtown areas for people who do business there and need to spend an hour or so in the city. Individuals who work downtown should not hog these spaces by feeding the meters. They should put their cars in parking lots or garages and pay the going rate.
Lexington, Ky.: That woman who put money in an expired meter may have honestly believed she was doing someone a favor, but she was actually denying access to someone else who had an equal right to that parking space. You should have told her so.
Hendersonville, N.C.: Your readers should be informed that meter maids and police officers mark the tires with chalk when there is a two-hour maximum and will issue a ticket regardless of the time on the meter if the same car is in the same place for longer than two hours.
Boston, Mass.: Last week, I was about to pull into a spot and almost hit a child who appeared to be about 10 years old. I asked him what in the world he was doing standing in the middle of the street. “I’m saving this place for my mom,” he replied. “Mom saw the space from the store window and ran to get the car out of the parking garage. I’m supposed to save this spot so she can park in it.”
And now, dear readers, do you understand why it’s against the law to feed the meters in Cincinnati? I do.
Dear Ann Landers: I don’t recall that you have ever addressed the subject of kidding. It’s time you did. My husband and I have been married for 50 years. This man has hurt many people with his “kidding,” and I am his most frequent target. He says the most insulting things under the guise of “just kidding,” and I really do hate it.
No one can be comfortable having to be constantly on guard against jokes and unkind words spoken with a smile. His double messages always come across as cruel. I know there is no cure for this mean-spiritedness, but seeing my letter in print would certainly do my heart good. - Indianapolis
Dear Indianapolis: I’ve watched some of those “kidding on the square” characters in action, and they can be downright cruel. Deep down, they feel inferior and under-appreciated and are always trying to drag somebody down to their level. The best response is no response. Play deaf, change the subject and let “the kidder” hang out on a limb with his mean mouth.