GE Gets Parking Ticket for Bringing Wind Power to Columbus

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GE Gets Parking Ticket for Bringing Wind Power to Columbus

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Started 1 year ago by Walker
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Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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If you haven't heard, General Electric is "touring" a big wind turbine blade around the country to promote their support for harnessing wind energy in the US. They have a site set up for the tour here:

http://www.capturethewindtour.com

They brought the blade to Columbus on Friday, May 7th, and Mayor Coleman signed his name on the blade, adding to the large list of leadership signatures scribed on it. The Lantern covered the promotional event here:

http://www.thelantern.com/campus/wind-turbine-blade-stirs-columbus-residents-to-think-about-renewable-energy-1.1477082

All fine and dandy, right? Well, there's one other thing that happened on their tour stop in Columbus... they got a parking ticket:

From here: http://twitpic.com/1lsqtl

This hasn't gotten much in the way of media attention, but I kind of wish that it would. This is just additional egg on the face of the already egg-covered faces of the Parking Violation Bureau here in the City. Might has well have given the truck driver a wedgie and told GE to take their wind power elsewhere because we don't want it here in Central Ohio.

Lame. Lame. Lame.

PVB needs a HUGE cultural/mindset shift. There's more to their job description than just issuing as many parking tickets as possible.

Posted 1 year ago #
lifeliberty
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eh, GE or the people throwing the event should have had the meter bagged. Only certain vehicles are allowed at expired metes, I assume they include emergency response vehicles, city vehicles, road crews, etc

I've seen a couple episodes(maybe 2 or 3) of parking wars which follows the meter maids in Philly. check it out. it's just about people doing their job. A violation is a violation.

if GE is upset about it then they should bill the event organizer.

Posted 1 year ago #
cc

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Yeah, it seems more like an error on the event's side. The ticket is for a Nissan, it may not have been easy to identify as part of the exhibit.

In NYC they would have been towed...

The meter maids are not judges, they just enforce the rules.

Posted 1 year ago #
myliftkk
Columbus, OH
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We all know the PVB has all the political instincts of a <fill in the blank with your favorite bumbling pol>

Their probably descended from the same people who ticketed Jesus' ass when he double-parked it upon entering Jerusalem...

Posted 1 year ago #
lifeliberty
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and it looks like it may have been in a No Stopping zone

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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GE doesn't bag meters, the City of Columbus bags meters. These types of PR/press events are typically done in collaboration with the city.

Regardless of whoever dropped the ball, the trigger-happy meter maids are the underlying problem with how Downtown parking problems are perceived throughout the city.

This sort of avoidable blunder doesn't assist in getting people to spend more their time coming Downtown.

Posted 1 year ago #
lifeliberty
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Walker wrote >>
GE doesn't bag meters, the City of Columbus bags meters.

I know that. I was saying the request to the city should have been made if they wanted special treatment.

Posted 1 year ago #
myliftkk
Columbus, OH
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Walker wrote >>
If you haven't heard, General Electric is "touring" a big wind turbine blade around the country to promote their support for harnessing wind energy in the US. They have a site set up for the tour here:
http://www.capturethewindtour.com
They brought the blade to Columbus on Friday, May 7th, and Mayor Coleman signed his name on the blade, adding to the large list of leadership signatures scribed on it. The Lantern covered the promotional event here:
http://www.thelantern.com/campus/wind-turbine-blade-stirs-columbus-residents-to-think-about-renewable-energy-1.1477082
All fine and dandy, right? Well, there's one other thing that happened on their tour stop in Columbus... they got a parking ticket:
From here: http://twitpic.com/1lsqtl

This hasn't gotten much in the way of media attention, but I kind of wish that it would. This is just additional egg on the face of the already egg-covered faces of the Parking Violation Bureau here in the City.

New motto:

PVB - making facial omelettes since, well, forever...

Posted 1 year ago #
lifeliberty
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I think if parking enforcement didn't do their job then people wouldn't come downtown because there would be less turnover at the meters.

I don't see meter enforcement as a reason people don't want to come downtown, there are plenty of lots all over the place where one can park without worry of a ticket.

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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lifeliberty wrote >>
I think if parking enforcement didn't do their job then people wouldn't come downtown because there would be less turnover at the meters.

1. Did this parking ticket get this car to move? If it were a no stopping zone, then it's not like it's a space where another car could park.

2. The meter maids are trigger-happy whether the block is filled, or if there are only two cars on the street. Aggressive ticketing on a Saturday at 11am on Gay Street doesn't make any difference with turning the meters over for new customers.

Posted 1 year ago #
misskitty
Columbus
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Would anyone think that if this did make the news it would actually make less people want to come downtown? So if you want people to avoid downtown then yes show them all that even special situations can get tickets and you will most likely see more avoid having to deal with something like this.

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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lifeliberty wrote >>
I don't see meter enforcement as a reason people don't want to come downtown, there are plenty of lots all over the place where one can park without worry of a ticket.

You're assuming that the rest of the populace has the same rationality that you do. ;)

Posted 1 year ago #
Snarf
Dystopia
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Isn't even being called a "meter maid" enough of a kick in the balls?

Posted 1 year ago #
lifeliberty
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Walker wrote >>

lifeliberty wrote >>
I think if parking enforcement didn't do their job then people wouldn't come downtown because there would be less turnover at the meters.

1. Did this parking ticket get this car to move? .

No, it didn't. No stopping zones are there for a reason, whether it is for emergency vehicle access or whatever. The reason it is a no stopping zone is to keep the area clear of vehicles. (like I said, GE should have applied to the city for permission to use that space of the street)if PVB didn't enforce that law then what is to stop others from parking there? the meter maid is not given the discretion to make such choices on who to ticket. they see a violation and ticket. I have never seen a meter maid running up the street to fine expired meters, they just walk around and ticket wneh(butchered that one, meant when) they see a violation. Maybe you have, but I haven't in the 11 years I've worked downtown. I blame the people who break the law and let their meters expire, not the PVB.

Posted 1 year ago #
joev
Merion Village
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lifeliberty wrote >> I blame the people who break the law and let their meters expire, not the PVB.

+1
I don't see the problem here - You may see it as the city's symbolic rejection of clean energy - but in reality, it's just a penalty for a driver who parked inappropriately.

I'm not sure I even agree that meter readers are, "aggressive." It's either an expired meter, or it's not. The honus is on the person who parked.

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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lifeliberty wrote >>
the meter maid is not given the discretion to make such choices on who to ticket.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree then, because I think having that lack of discretion is the root problem.

Posted 1 year ago #
lifeliberty
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I can see it your way too Walker. I understand that suburbanites are used to their parking lot and not used to dealing with keeping meters fed, so they are more likely to get a ticket, and after that they are scared from ever parking downtown again because they don't know how to do it.

but does that mean blame should go on PVB? I don't think so. Look, no one who has ever gotten towed or ticketed likes meter maids, I want to park for free everywhere too, but without enforcement Dtown, SN, campus would be a mess.

Posted 1 year ago #
anillo
Marzipan City
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I hope this doesn't take the wind out of GE's interest in investing in alternative energy in central Ohio.

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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lifeliberty wrote >>
I have never seen a meter maid running up the street to fine expired meters, they just walk around and ticket wneh(butchered that one, meant when) they see a violation.

I have been told by several friends that they have arrived back to their vehicles with a minute to go on a meter to find a meter maid already starting to fill out their ticket pre-expiration.

I have been told by several friends who have been met with hostility when confronting meter maids about questions or issues.

Personally, I've never had much of a problem myself because I don't park much in metered areas during times of enforcement, but I'm willing to believe that some basis "customer service" training wouldn't hurt those in charge of enforcement.

And don't get me wrong... I'm not trying to excuse anyone out of paying a ticket for a valid parking infraction. I just think that there's room for improvement with our enforcement system.

Posted 1 year ago #
Snarf
Dystopia
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anillo wrote >>
I hope this doesn't take the wind out of GE's interest in investing in alternative energy in central Ohio.

it'll blow over.

Posted 1 year ago #