eee!

Remember back in the day, when I lived in Oak Park? I paid good money every month for a street parking permit, and yet I'd get parking tickets all the damn time. The stupid city hadn't updated their law about street parking in something like 80 years, so they had all these stupid rules about how they would only allow residential parking in areas close to businesses. (THAT makes sense for the residents, to have the only place available for them to park be the crowded areas near the shopping districts where they'd have to jockey for spaces with non-residents.) Anyway, those bastard liars at city hall told me there would be a referendum and a public meeting about changing the city policy on street parking, and told me they'd only announce the meeting on the website. Of course, the meeting time/date was only posted AFTER it had happened, because they're bastards and just want to keep collecting as much money as they can from parking tickets. In summation, I HATE OAK PARK AND EVERYTHING IT STANDS FOR, including Ernest Hemmingway and Frank Lloyd Wright.

But now! NOW it is I who has the last laugh. Why? Because Oak Park has a new logo, and it looks like a penis. Don't believe me?



TELL ME you're not seeing a penis wrapped in a condom here, people. Just move that logo over to the left, and whammo! Full-on phallus.

It's a fitting logo for a city run by a bunch of dicks.

My friend Kirsti pointed out an article in the Tribune today about Oak Park's stupid parking ban. First of all, I'm glad this is getting more attention. Secondly, even the police are tired of it. THE POLICE! Sheesh. I've contacted the city again asking when this public hearing will be, and if there's anything I can do to help the Transportation Commission repeal the ban. I'll tell you this: if/when I find out about the public hearing, you can bet I'll be papering the street once more.

And yes, I'm posting this link so that I'll have an online repository of all the stupid parking shit, just in case I need it for later reference.

Again, THANK YOU to everyone who took the survey for me. I really appreciate it.

So I e-mailed a bunch of my friends about the parking ban survey, and Cinnamon took it upon herself to post about it on Gapers Block. Boo-yah! Another strike against The Man!

The fliers I put up in my apartment building's lobbies were still there this morning, but there's always a chance that the maintenance guys might remove them. I'm not sure if we're allowed to post stuff in the lobbies or not, but I've seen people do it when they're having a moving sale or something. We'll see...

ETA: I think it's working! One of my coworkers just sent me a link to the online survey, which she had received from one of her friends (after 1 pm). Word is spreading! I don't know if the coworker's friend saw the link on GB or found it independently, but people outside of my circle now know. Hooray!

If y'all love me, please go here and take the survey. Specifically, if you're someone who's been to my apartment and has had to deal with the supremely shitty parking restrictions (put in place in 1929!), please take the survey. For the record, I'm south of Lake Street and west of East Avenue in an apartment with more than four units. And in case you want to mirror my vote, I strongly support the first three options, somewhat oppose the fourth and sixth, and stongly oppose the sixth. If y'all could weigh in on this just to help the numbers, I'd love you forever.

I just went to City Hall to ask if this survey was on paper yet so that I could put it under my neighbors' doors, and they said that it's online only. (Way to get the word out to all the residents, sheesh.) Needless to say, come Monday I'll be printing this out and taping it in the lobbies of my building, as well as leaving it on every windshield on my street. Over the top? I don't care. I realized today that between the quarterly parking permit, the yearly city sticker fee, the yearly daytime permit, and all of the tickets I've received, I've shelled out nearly $1,000 to this city. $1,000 to live like a hermit for fear of losing my parking space and getting another ticket. $1,000 to not be able to run errands after work. $1,000 to not have friends stay past midnight on the weekends. $1,000 to not have people come visit me for fear that THEY will get tickets.

I call BULLSHIT.

And now, off to B-Fest!