as of this writing, blocking a fire hydrant is a violation of the california vehicle code (section 22514) and will cost you about $90.
today — 05/20/2010 — i saw san francisco mta interceptor “158 M 744” parked in front of a fire hydrant in the 400 block of natoma street so i snapped these pictures. the time was 2:26 pm.
one errand and thirty minutes later i was back at the same location and the interceptor was still in the same spot. coincidentally, the driver happened to be exiting a tavern/restaurant. i took this video. the time was 2:56 pm.
transcript of the video:
mta agent: why are you taking pictures of my car?
me: you are illegally parked.
mta agent: really?
mta agent: so you have nothing better else to do?
mta agent: [chats with friend]
mta agent: you have nothing better else to do?
mta agent: let me stand in front of it for you.
mta agent: [pokes her head out of vehicle as she drives away] creep.
the driver was in a tavern/restaurant. no problem there. but where there is a problem is that she thinks she is above the law. she was parked for at least 30 minutes — but obviously more — in front of a fire hydrant. that’s an offense that very few get away with. but for some reason she thinks it is ok for her. it is not.
and is it okay for her to belittle people by calling them a “creep”? if anyone did that to an mta agent i imagine they would be subject to charges of harassment. to wit, note the “tough jobs” bumper sticker. but, just as with the parking rules, she seems to think other rules don’t apply.
and i sure hope she was not drinking in the tavern/restaurant and then driving. but then again i would imagine she thinks those rules don’t apply to her either.
i doubt this was a one-time lapse of judgment. i imagine it’s more of an every-day occurrence.
so driver: take the shame, pay your $90 fine, and resign.
john haley, nathaniel ford, sr. … what do you have to say?
the residents of san francisco deserve better. the residents of san francisco demand better.
and we want our $90. “really.”