Every now and then someone performs an act of kindness that restores you faith in the good in human nature. Last month I attended a party on Dartmouth street to which the monies raised at the party would all go to The Jimmy Fund and the Dana Farber institute for cancer research.
I took along a DB9 Volante which was to be auctioned off for an overnight loan. The car was parked outside the house for the arriving guests to view on a meter although the owners of the house have a permanent parking permit. Now the permit wasn’t in the car and yes the meter did expire but one of the party planners was right outside the house next to the car. Along comes a meter maid and despite the explanation as to why the car was there, the purpose of the party and an offer to top up the meter, a ticket was promptly slapped on the windscreen of the $200k Aston.
Now strictly speaking the ticket was issued correctly. I don’t dispute that, but you kind of hope the charity inside the house might have blown across the meter maid and a little bit of leniency shown. Now it’s only 25 bucks, no big deal but it kind of, let’s say “disappointed” me that the ticket was issued so I wrote to the office of the parking clerk explaining the circumstances and asking for the ticket to be dismissed. But, I didn’t want my 25 bucks back. What I wrote was that if the clerk, in my opinion, did the right thing and dropped the ticket I would give the 25 to the charity, not only that but if the clerks generosity was forth coming then I would match it and add another 25 dollars. Deal or no deal ? Well on Monday I received an official letter from the Office of the parking clerk informing me that the ticket had indeed been dismissed! Awesome !!
Now I don’t know who the clerk is and haven’t been able to find out, but whoever he or she is, YOU ROCK !
I will be on the streets of Boston this weekend looking to hug a meter maid so they can pass it on to the clerk……..which will probably result in a much bigger fine than $25 !!
Happy motoring….and legal parking
John
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