Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
The Boston Herald reports that the Cambridge government is issuing parking tickets illustrated with yoga poses. I am in no way joking. Motorists aren't taking to it as the city had hoped. Being normal human beings, they think it's silly and a waste of money. Government officials are surprised:
But officials say it’s about getting in touch with a deeper municipal truth: “It’s trying to debunk the idea that all parking tickets are a hostile action, because I don’t think they are,” said Susan E. Clippinger, the city’s transportation chief. “We’re not writing tickets to get somebody. We’re writing tickets to help make the city function.”
Right. The 40,000 parking tickets are part of a public art project, apparently. Government artist Daniel Peltz also created a mural of "excuses" given by drivers. Oh, and plush Denver boots. Because when the government siezes your car with the application of a boot, it feels better when it's a soft boot:
Peltz envisions “a reflection on a social situation, the human experience of giving and receiving parking tickets.” He e-mailed from Sweden: “I started this process by wondering what would happen in a world where I received them with a set of graceful postures: a clean bend at the waist, a gentle lift of the windshield wiper . . . I’m going to get the ticket either way, my only choice really is how I’m going to receive it.”
I'll say it again. This is apparently not satire. Actually, there's no way this is real, is there?
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Jul '10
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
Perhaps they could use the pictures of the officials bending over with their heads up their.....
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
Don't give me a picture of someone in a downward dog pose on my parking ticket. The temptation to tell them where they can stick it is already too great.
Incidentally, the City of Los Angeles, ever in need of money since driving out business, has informed residents not only will they be ticketed for leaving their car parked IN FRONT of their houses for more than THREE DAYS, but they will be towed and fined. That's a revenue grabber. And liberals were afraid the Patriot Act would impinge on our rights. How about the right to take a long weekend?
Jul '10
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
Great story, this quote was my favorite part of the piece:
“Find out how much money it cost,” said Buote, toting a $95 ticket. “That’s how much money they wasted.”
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
Jimmy Carter: Perhaps they could use the pictures of the officials bending over with their heads up their..... · Sep 22 at 2:59pm
Watch it, buster. This is a family site. And I'd hate to have to exile a former president to St. Helena...
May '10
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
I want to know the "public" artist's fee.
May '10
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
This is the perfect example of Big Govt sponsored social architecture or engineering if you prefer, at it's worst. I am certain that some guy wearing socks with his opened toed sandals who graduated with a Sociology major came up with this. Also I have no doubts that the people receiving the tickets would like to tell the officials issuing them to bend at the waist. I am also sure that the taxpayers are feeling like they were bent over at the waist when they got the bill for the printing of these. Why do so many feel the need to tell or suggest to so many others how they should live Their lives. So many are so convinced that they know the way to ever lasting health, peace and harmony and are determined to shove it down our throats whether we like it or not. Please people, I beg of you, just go and create your utopia out in the desert some where or on top of a mountain and leave the rest of us alone.
Jul '10
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
What...? They're dots. You posted the same dots.
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
Parking tickets make my blood boil. Yes, yes, I understand that cities need money because they can't control their outrageous spending habits, but when I get whopped with a $53 ticket for forgetting to move my car on street cleaning day (every block has its own day and time for street cleaning -- how on earth are we to keep up?!), I feel as though some great injustice has occurred.
San Francisco metermaids all have bumper stickers on their miniature vehicles that read: "Good People, Tough Jobs." Pah!
Sep '10
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
Government artist = oxymoron
“I started this process by wondering what would happen in a world where I received them with a set of graceful postures: a clean bend at the waist, a gentle lift of the windshield wiper . . .’
This sounds like this guys reading list of late has been erotica...
Questions
If we don't do this maneuver, will we get an additional fine?
I could imagine a world where, Obamalike, I pretend to scratch an itch on my face with my middle finger while receiving the ticket, could that be considered as an alternate view?
is it a sign that government is bloated when it employs artists to paint murals of excuses?
would the artist and his employer go on record saying that all excuses in the mural were vetted and falsified?
is it illegal to paint your excuse directly on the mural, or do you have to submit your excuse to the government artist for approval and possible inclusion?
May '10
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
Mesquito Canyon, Texas, has no parking meters, Diane. (However, it doesn't have much of anything else, either.)
Aug '10
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
The Cambridge Meter Maids are acting stupidly.
Sep '10
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
Diane Ellis, Ed.: Parking tickets make my blood boil. Yes, yes, I understand that cities need money because they can't control their outrageous spending habits, but when I get whopped with a $53 ticket for forgetting to move my car on street cleaning day (every block has its own day and time for street cleaning -- how on earth are we to keep up?!), I feel as though some great injustice has occurred.
San Francisco metermaids all have bumper stickers on their miniature vehicles that read: "Good People, Tough Jobs." Pah! · Sep 22 at 3:23pm
I was parked legally in Philadelphia, PA with an expired NJ inspection sticker. I got a $100 ticket for that inspection violation. They probably give NJ a kickback It is all getting wired up and catching us making mistakes generates nice revenues.They make the rules and change them often enough, they gain.
May '10
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
Whatever you do, don't complain.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/university-of-georgia-punishes-student-for-parking-complaint-103566114.html
Jul '10
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
A kinder gentler 'Big Brother'... 1984 but with a smiley face?
Aug '10
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
Uggs for priuses ?
Don't forget to have Skip Gates hobbling around reminding people of their part in the hoary history that is America, well at least since they arrived on the 4:18 at La Guardia in 190?, what was the date Obama used ?
With the Gate admonition, the ticket and the soft boots, things will be just fine.
As one bed bug said to the other. "how you getting home from the bar ?"
"Probabably the pubic transportation ! " the drunken bed bug responded.
(sorry where is the rulebook- is it on kindle) is it long ?
Sep '10
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
"Good People, Tough Jobs."
I worked for the first time for the Federal Government as a census enumerator this spring.
I did it for the money.
It was a very interesting experience on many levels. I saw the Government (or the Commerce Dept which runs the Census) as efficient in many ways, and in other ways blatantly and shamelessly spendthrift.
And everyone of my fellow trainiees were very good ordinary people.
But the people who we were sent out to interview were very good people too. These were people who didn't mail in their census forms. The few negative encounters I had were very respectful, I didn't begrudge those who were resistant, dismissive, or aggravated because they sent in the form already, or even those who were outright paranoid (which I can imagine would be my own reaction).
They have a right to those thoughts .
But the idea of government hiring artists, and expecting us to be moved or influenced demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of art, and a misunderstanding of the human being.
Bumper stickers are another waste.
Jul '10
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
The natural progression of government:
1. Begin a regimen of traffic tickets so as to maintain the public order.
2. See a revenue stream in #1, and therefore expand the cost, array and number of tickets as quickly as possible.
3. Bored by #2, progress to using the assignment of tickets as a means to badger the citizenry. Starts with yoga poses, quickly progresses to on-the-spot BMI measurements and wellness class assignments.
Re: Cambridge to Public: Bend at the Waist
I love the fact that the artist-in-residence of Cambridge, Mass. had to be tracked down in Sweden. Where else would a Cambridge liberal go on vacation? No wonder the Swedes are fed up with immigrants.