The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1958-05-15

what l want this letter to do
reach everybody in Noble county.
The trouble is, you probably
won't print it.
III bet I'm the first person to
get a parking ticket in our viii
lage. In fact. III bet the tickets
were printed just for me. l know
an ordinance was passed solely
for my benefit, at special meet
ing of the village council. And
here's why:
One Sunday morning, couple
of months ago, as l was going to
church, l happened to park in a
certain spot, in road across
from the church, off the high
way. The place is hilly, and I
turned my wheels toward the
bank to keep the car from rolling
down onto the highway. When
l returned to the car, / found
a snotty note on the seat, warn
ing me to keep away from there.
Naturally, the next Sunday l
parked there again, and since
l always answer my mail, / left
a note, suggesting a destination,
for the author of the one left
for me. q was polite about it,
thought did say please, +"
which is more than he did, This
time when / returned to the car,
there was another note, threat
ening me with the sheriff if |
parked there again. So of course
the next Sunday l parked again
in the same spot.
You'd think that would settle
it. wouldn't you? But no, these
people are friends of the mayor
and 10 and behold, by the fol-
lowing Sunday, parking
sign had appeared.
(My husband was mayor here
for four years, and during that
time the same people asked him
to have a no-parking sign erected
there. He refused on the grounds
that it is only on Sunday morn
ings anyone ever parks there,
and at that time the parking
spaces are at a premium, so he
couldn't see any reason for sign
there. And the other day, when
| was in at the office of the
GAINESVILLE city manager, l was
told that the city of GAINESVILLE
relaxes its parking ordinances on
Sunday mornings, for the bene-
fit of church-goers.)
There was, however, no ordin-
ance prohibiting parking there,
SO l ignored the sign, and got
one of these brand-new tickets.
l had broken no law, so l ignored
the ticket. A couple of weeks
later, while parked at the same
place, ] was accosted by one Of
the council members, who told
me | was going to have to pay a
fine for parking there. l pointed
out that there was no ordinance
prohibiting parking. So the very
next day a special meeting of the
council was called, and an ordin-
ance was passed, prohibiting
parking in that place. 1t was
passed on April %, 1858, but is
not effective until fifteen days
after it is posted Which means
that on this last Sunday, May II,
1858 (Mother's Day), there was
in effect no ordinance to pro-
hibit anyone from parking there.
Yes, l parked there again. And
where am | now? In the Noble
county Jail.
As I left my car l was told
by the marshal to move it, or he
would have to arrest me. told
him to do so, SO he said to con-
slider myself under arrest, and
to step at the town house on my
way home from church. | still
had not violated any no-parking
ordinance, remember, so | didn't
stop. That afternoon the marshal
appeared at my home with {
warrant for my arrest, charging
me with turning in the middle
of street. At the hearing | was
found guilty on that charge, anC
also for parking too close to the
highway, although at that very
moment there were cars parked
much closer to the highway thar
l was. The fine in each case is
no less than one dollar, and M
more than five dollars You car
guess what was fined-tht
maximum, plus costs, on eacl
count. Of course it was all Gu
and dried before | went doWl
there-I knew in advance Wha
the verdict would be | refused
70 pay the fine, so here / sit il
Jail, for seven days. And all be
cause l refused to be bullied int
not parking where I had a per
feet legal right to park.
And what is the moral Of thi
story? You can't fight city hall
And if you can't fight them, JOIN
them. Make friends with tn
mayor, and then you can ge
people you don't like put in jai
Why didn't l just call it quit:
and knuckle under? Where
park doesn't matter in the least