Last Saturday morning I found myself in downtown Walnut Creek looking for a place to have breakfast. Hub Caps Diner located on Locust and Bonanza caters the Contra Costa Realtors in Motion (CCRIM), which on Tuesdays is the home of the Broker's Caravan Tour (http://www.ccrim.info.com/) for the central Co.Co. county. I thought to myself; their food is always top notch on Tuesday, I can't imagine it being any different on a weekend, so with this in mind I went to satisfy my hunger.
I arrived at my destination about 10 minutes after 9 in the morning and I parked on Locust. As I cross the street I notice a parking meter enforcer (I feel funny saying a male meter maid) patrolling in an official meter enforcement cart. He stopped and jumped out of his cart with his ticket writing machine in tow. He glanced at the meter, which had no time, and proceeded to the rear of the vehicle to write a ticket.
As if it were a dream sequence, I recalled past episodes of my life where a parking ticket waving upon my windshield would ruin the best laid plans of any weekend; so without any thought at all I said "hold it, please", whipped out a shinny quarter and fed the famished meter. As I turned the knob on the meter which aided the digestion of the coin currency I inserted, the officer asked in a formal tone ..." is this your car?"... Thank you I responded, to which he querried again, "is this your car?"
I vaguely remember an episode of "Cops" where a suspect was taken into custody for lying to an officer of the law; so I repeated my response... Thank you. And again the officer asked, "IS THIS YOUR CAR?" Realizing that my answer was not working I asked why? He then informed me that paying a meter for someone else is against the law.
I am a "child of the 60's" and it was all I could do to keep the ‘question authority' part of my psyche squelched. I smiled, bid the officer a good day, and entered the diner. This entire scene took somewhere between 60 and 90 seconds but it has stayed with me for two days now. In a time where there is far too little compassion for our fellow man... where selfish motives are used to justify any and all gains... where everyone is far too busy thinking only of themselves...
...the thought of a law that would prevent an act of kindness scares me.
Bill Clemente
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Two questions. 1- How was the food? 2- Did the officer continue to write the car up for a ticket? I can almost see the meter-maid(?) running in after you, tackling you, then cuffing you, what a shame you could have been arested or ticked for doing a good deed. You have a great day,
Michael.