Vindictiveness

The past three weeks have been good for me. Maybe too good. Started the new job, been enjoying it, and that all-around good feeling that nothing seems to be going wrong. 

Yesterday morning it was still looking good. I got up and did the regular routine of meeting my buddies up at the pub for a couple Bloody Marys. Our softball season started up so we played two games then returned to the pub for the team drink, and to watch the remaining portion of the Redskins game. That's where things started to go wrong. The Redskins ended up losing. Then the Wife called, saying the internet was out at home (via the modem) and wanted me to try to talk her through how to do the online reset.check thing that I have done before. By the time I had her boot up my system to do it, the internet was back up, so maybe that wasn't as bad a thing.

Then I came home. Now, I park on the street with the work truck, as it is a 16-foot box truck. It won't fit on the drive due to the carport, or the RV drive on the side due to the tree we have out front. It fits nicely along the front without blocking our regular driveway on one side, and the RV drive on the other - note that both these driveways are ours.

So I came home Sunday early afternoon to find a parking ticket on my work truck. The violation? Parking on the sidewalk, because the front wheel had crested the angled curb. It is a $70 fine. I admit I was on the sidewalk (technically) but what was worse, is that I have been parking on the sidewalk for the past 2 1./2 weeks, in order to allow more room for traffic on our street. It is a tight single lane access with the truck out there.

Back to the ticket. How is a cop going to see my truck on the sidewalk, unless someone specifically reported it. I am far enough from the "busy" street that they would not just see it glancing down the street as they pass. I seriously believe someone called it in to the city to report it, as I had not moved it since Friday night. And I think I know who - those Mexicans across the street. They have their soirees every weekend, playing Spanish music somewhat loud, and drinking in the front yard (not taking it to the backyard). We have had issues with them before. But with my bringing home the work truck, they can't park in front of my place anymore, and their work truck (a pickup that pulls a trailer of landscaping stuff) has issues pulling in and out of their gate at the side of the house. So they have to pay attention when they pull in/out. Plus, when I cam home Friday night, I had to get them to move their vehicles so I could park my truck. I was even nice and said thank you when they did. 

Maybe I am wrong, and it wasn't them, and it was just some random cop that happened down my street and was having a bad day so ticketed me and no one else on the street.

I doubt it. But I can't prove nothing. Either way, for now I am out $70.

PeacE