The Evils of Muni Meters

I prefer jail to a fine because I believe in honor and code and doing what is right and standing up to the system and standing for justice and fairness and on the side of poor schmucks everywhere who try their best everyday in myriad petty ways to support their municipalities and obey parking regulations despite cold and rainy weather. It is for those people and that sense of honor that I prefer to stand firm on this small spot on the planet, corner of 7th avenue and 23 rd street, Manhattan, and say "ENOUGH". Enough cowering to the unthinking and unyielding technology that everyday diminishes our humanity - enough of muni meters that seem to laugh at us as we fumble in the rain with our credit cards while it takes its time, makes us wait and then taunts us with its dim LCD response, "communication error". Enough of hauling our sorry asses into traffic court where some small minded administrative judge who has "heard it all before" and is bored to tears much the same way we are as we stand there and ask for a pass on this one ticket because it wasn't our fault. Enough with a system that demands individual responsibility and accountability but accepts none for its own broken, uncaring, one size fits all parking rules and regulations. For all those reasons I say dismiss the ticket or send me to jail where I will do my time and in so doing wash away the guilt that I acknowledge - guilty as charged; guilty of being a human being, guilty of caring, guilty of wanting my children to stand up tall and proud knowing that the world is in fact not a one way street with no parking unless you ask permission, rather it is a four lane highway crossing the vastness of our lives through a landscape where men of honor are in the driver's seat. No more "system down - communication error" humiliations. I am proud to do my jail time