A conversation between myself and Susan King re. DPT that might have some relevance to the TWG. Sue ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- Hi Susan, Better to send transportation-related stuff to me on my juno account (I'll probably be ditching this yahoo account soon) because I cannot forward stuff onto the transpo@sfgreens.org account from here. The PSAC has dealt with this kind of issue before. Many members of the PSAC have talked to PCOs and police officers and heard them say things about ticketing -- or in most cases NOT ticketing -- illegally parked cars based on some informal policy. And then Valerie Harper will come to the PSAC and say No, that is not our policy ... We could bring this up at the TWG in the sense that we want a consistent, well-publicized ticketing policy that adheres to state and local law TO BE ENFORCED! The TWG could write a letter to DPT about this which we could CC to the members of the Board of Supervisors. I mean, Jack Fleck, of DPT, once actually testified in front to the PSAC that the DPT would like to ticket all cars parked on the sidewalk, but they are waiting for the go-ahead from the supervisors. Cheryl Brinkman countered, "Mr. Fleck, that's the law ..." Perhaps Pi and I could work on a letter to this effect. Sue --- Susan King <funking@mindspring.com> wrote:
Sue, I got this on a list I am on.
Do you think the Transpo WG would be interested in countering this?
peace, susan
---------- From: home@prosf.org Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 09:43:09 -0700 To: home@prosf.org Cc: "Yee, Bond" <Bond.Yee@sfgov.org> Subject: DPT out of control?
From: Wayne Lanier <w_lanier@pacbell.net> To: home@prosf.org Subject: DPT out of control? Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 16:48:19 -0700 I am collecting District V complaints about the behavior of Department of Parking & Traffic [DPT] personnel. If you have any specific complaint, please reply to this e-mail or respond to my personal e-mail address [w_lanier@pacbell.net].
I am NOT interested in rants by those folks who accumulate stacks of parking tickets. I want to hear about DPT personnel behavior that is: - Disrespectful - Rude - Use of DPT power to intimidate or extort money - Inappropriate use of the "letter" of traffic laws - Behavior not in the spirit of "Public Servant"
Below are two personal observations:
1. I bought a car and went in to DPT to get a new Parking Sticker. I waited in line for some considerable time in a crowded and very noisy room. When my turn came I found myself speaking to a clerk behind a grill. Between the impediment of the glass and bars and the loud noise of the room, I could not clearly understand her. When I asked her to repeat what she had said, she snapped: "Well, if you'd put in yo' hearing aid, you could hear me just fine." I do not have a hearing aid. I do have mild nerve damage that makes it difficult for me to understand accented speech against a background of loud noise. It is not correctable with a hearing aid. Even if this were not the case, she was acting for the City of San Francisco as a public servant and owed every citizen both courtesy and respect.
2. I telephoned the Police Dispatch to report a car parked across the handicapped sidewalk access on the corner of Ashbury and Fell. I did so because I witnessed a person in a wheel chair having difficulty crossing Fell. Shortly, a DPT scooter rolled up to our corner. The DPT Officer did not ticket the car I called about. Instead, he went to the driveway of my neighbor on Ashbury, where she was unloading her groceries and two children. Apparently her garage is too narrow to easily unload inside. He proceeded to ticket her for blocking the sidewalk. I came out to overhear her explain that she would move the car on into the garage as soon as she got the groceries out and her daughter unbuckled from the child seat. He ignored her, and continued to write the ticket. I came up and explained that I had called about the car parked across the handicap access, not about my neighbor. At first he ignored me, but when I pressed the matter, he said to call Police Dispatch. I explained that I had called and that was why he had been sent out. He admitted he had been sent out, but called me a liar to my face, saying that I had complained about the sidewalk being blocked and he was out ticketing the person doing it. If I wanted the car across the handicap access ticketed, he said, I would have to make another call [??? We could easily see the car blocking the access from where we stood]. I asked for his name or badge number and he told me I could find his badge number on his "rear". With that, he got in his scooter and drove off. I called Police Dispatch to complain about him, but was directed to a "complaints" number. I left a message about the incident. I have never received a reply to that complaint from DPT.
I have heard, from neighbors and friends, other instances of similar kind. I would like to find out if this rude or abusive behavior is a trend. Elements in these two stories contain such behavior, as well as application of the letter of the law in an abusive way [my neighbor was parked in her driveway, so did block the sidewalk - but she was present and was in control of her car and indicated she would move the car in a timely manner].
W
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