I agree, which I why I'll use one, in spite of occasional glares from others. I wouldn't cut in front of a lady in a wheelchair to nab the larger stall, but if they are empty and I need one, I use one. Also, there are no fines or tickets in the bathroom...

It would depend. I have confronted people at times, when they were line-cutting, being too loud, cursing around my children, and littering. I once called a company when I saw lit cigarettes tossed out of their service vehicle in the woods during a drought, and they thanked me. I took the license plate and called the DEC when a group of youths drove off and left a campfire burning during the same drought, and they also thanked me.

I'd never park in the handicap spot. But, being a bundle of contradictions, I sometimes use the handicap stall in the bathroom -- there is a lot more room in there when you have one or two tadpoles with you. 

Good points. Tevye is clearly a flawed character -- not very smart, not that good-looking or successful, but he does love family life. When his children chose differently than he wants them to, he does not feel pleased, but he overcomes his anger and disappointment, no? In those days, if a Jewish girl married a gentile, her family would have sat shiva, so continuing a relationship with her is actually a major dealio.

Here's the link.

Even with the evidence before her eyes of my car parked correctly and her car on the line, she was screaming and hissing. If she could have taken a picture with her phone and reported me immediately, she would have done so, even though I had done nothing wrong. She was spitting angry. 

Although it appears the app requires a real meter maid to confirm the report of illegal parking and issue the appropriate ticket, I have no interest in being detained, being questioned, or having to demonstrate my innocence. As a homeschooling mother, I fear the State.

I've had my car damaged, I suspect because of my bumper sticker. Someone hit or kicked the front panel over the passenger side front wheel when the car was parked on-street in a legal spot, so hard that the passenger door couldn't open until we pried the metal back. I've also had magnetic bumper stickers stolen or turned upside down.

The other day I pulled my Honda Odyssey into the library parking lot, and eased into an available space. The car parked next to the driver's side was parked on the line, but I tried to park as considerately as possible. As I carefully exited my car to retrieve the multitudinous Toad book return bags from my trunk, the driver in that car rolled down her window to query why I parked so close to her, and to express her annoyance at my inconsiderateness. I pointed out that I was perfectly between the lines in my spot, and that in fact she had parked with her wheels on the line. She began to yell at me, and tell me that I was a bad person. She pointed to my St. Christopher sticker on my car and hissed that I was a hypocrite. Her malevolence shocked the tadpoles as well as me, leaving us all shaken.

The idea that such a woman could easily report me frightens me, and the idea that she could receive payment for her malignancy is even worse.

I also bet that with this bumper sticker, living in uberliberal New Paltz, I'd be a target.

tablua rasa -- I can't comment on this whole very interesting thread because I have exceeded my Ricochet limit for the day, but I wanted to thank you for recommending this series. I just got book 1 on my Kindle for a trip the Toad clan is taking... You are my guru for what to read next...

If you look carefully, you will see that the author says that the list is alphabetical by film, rather than ranked in order from best to tenth best.

So he ranks Tevye as one of the ten best movie fathers, not the best.

Do you think Tevye not worthy of his list? If so, why?

One of the best father-daughter movies is The Secret World of Arriety, loosely based on the Borrowers series. I also really like the portrayal of the relationship between the dad and daughter in Brave, and don't forget the love between Sir Thomas More and his daughter Margaret as portrayed in A Man for All Seasons, with Paul Scofield and the lovely Susannah York.

One of my favorite movies is Finding Nemo, which tells a beautiful father-son story. Marlin, the father, is not perfect, but his love for his son is so genuine and also very funny. I highly recommend that movie.

Coincidentally, so does one of my favorite movie reviewers, Steven D. Greydanus, who recently put out a Father's Day column with his ten best fathers in movies. Always thoughtful and always interesting, I think he is also more often right than not -- my children know that they should consult Steven Greydanus to see if he reviewed a movie before asking me if they can watch it...

Father Rutler is leaving Our Savior? Can you tell us more without gossiping or spreading scandal? I love Fr. Rutler -- I used to work in the Murray Hill area and attending Our Savior, before Fr. Rutler got there and made the lovely Romanesque church stunning with incredible icons.

May your parish be blessed with a new holy priest, and may Father Rutler continue to delight the people of God as he serves his Savior with his life.

Did you have occasion to hear the awful letter from the Cardinal to the Archdiocese last Sunday? Our Church needs lots of prayer, and fasting, and prayer, and fasting...

Polonius, a notorious windbag who can never shut up, remarks during the play that brevity is the soul of wit...

I don't normally choose to sit through a nearly 3 minute commercial, but it was really really funny.

CJS -- Another fine example of how wonderful Ricochet is... Papa Toad and I enjoyed this very funny geek-fest...

Grendel, I can't say I like that cartoon at all! 

But, I do love your line about being born Democrat, baptized Catholic... It is all too true...

I loved living in NYC -- it was a time of youth and excitement, and there was nothing like it. I've lived in the big city in Japan as well, near Osaka, and while there are many things I loved about it, I love being a country girl. With ten chickens, two gardens, and the stars at night.