Monday, June 14, 2010

Hypocrisy, Thy Name is Mumbles...

City switches gears to curb parking pains
City officials fed up with inconsiderate parking space hogs are moving to ratchet up the cost of tickets until it hurts, the Hub’s traffic czar said.

“If you don’t want to be squeezed, don’t park illegally,” said city Transportation Secretary Thomas Tinlin.

Under the Menino administration plan, which gets a hearing before the City Council today, depositing your car in a no-parking zone would soar to $25 from $15 and clinging to a space beyond the alloted [sic] time limit also climbs to $25 from $15.

That would be the same Menino administration that talked about installing caps against "price gouging" for people charging triple digit fees for parking around Fenway. Apparently when the city of Boston does it, it's "changing behavior", but when a private citizen or enterprise does it, it's gouging. In both cases the action is voluntary - in the case of the ticket, someone chooses to break the law; in the case of parking, they choose to pay outrageous fees to park.

But in one case the local .gov gets a piece of the action, in which case angels smile and all is well - rather than a business benefiting from people being lazy...

That is all.

6 comments:

Brad_in_IL said...

Jay,
I'm surprised. You sound like you expected something different. Me, I'm either a realistic cynic or a cynical realist.

- Brad

wolfwalker said...

Wait a minute. A miserable $25 for parking in a No Parking zone -- which might be a fire lane, or a fire hydrant access space, or a location where parking there seriously impedes traffic flow? And you think that amount is too much?

Jay G said...

I don't believe I ever stated I thought that amount was too much.

I just found it interesting that - while they rail against people "gouging" for parking - they'll raise the fines without so much as batting an eye...

Scott McCray said...

Jay,

Remember - Don't steal, the Government hates the competition!

Maureen said...

The $25 is less than you'd pay in most garages downtown. Does Mumbles think people don't know this? He should charge the same as they do at Fenway for the ticket and leave the "legitimate" business men competing with illegal parkers - that will get them to lower their rates!! It's about making the free market work for you.

RW said...

What's their stance on illegal aliens? "If you don't want to be deported, don't enter illegally" or amnesty?