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Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte
Before you read this outburst I’d like to say that I am usually a very happy and somewhat positive person. Okay, that’s a lie. I’m just trying to enjoy my life, my friends and my family for whatever time is left. God knows I try. I know we all complain about too many changes in our city but this one is different.
Most of my stories are about memories of “Yester Ville” (a phrase I created just in case they try to fine me or tax me on it!). In Yester Ville we weren’t being hovered over by a GPS-like, Google earth monitored nit picking watchdog, waiting to dole out fines for breaking all sorts of rules.
VIOLATION! OH MY GOD! You must now give up some of your hard earned, much needed, essential to just to scrape by … money. You bad person! We caught you! You mean … didn’t read the fine print? You’re on a budget? Ha-ha! Too bad. Yes, it IS too bad. Our tax dollars aren’t enough to run this city so they have to suck every possible dime out of us.
My son and some of his band mates were performing in a play at Suffolk University Thursday through Sunday. Good kids who rehearsed like crazy for weeks, earning money honestly and diligently. Dan lives in New Hampshire and stayed over our house on the show nights. Although we have a huge driveway, it was out of commission due to sidewalk repairs. So I gave him one of my four visitor passes. Yes. I am entitled to four. Lol! Visitor Pass my _ _ _ ! We didn’t read the small sneaky print in the back of the “Visitor Pass!”
Let’s start with a $30 ticket to the musical New Hampshire “visitor” for “parking too far from the curb.” Okay, I understand that emergency vehicles have to get by. And the trash trucks have to maneuver streets. This kid is from New Hampshire where they don’t have all the rules we have. Welcome to Somerville! But the second fine for $50 for “Visitor Pass Abuse” really burned my butt.
My family has been paying taxes in this city since 1919. That’s a lot of dough! And we got a lot of services. Excellent police, fire, DPW and Highway service. Decent trash and sanitation upkeep. We always had water (which is very expensive) and we were always able to flush like mad! My family always paid our taxes and city bills on time or certainly within the stated grace period.
I complain about detours, congestion and disappearing landmarks like everyone else but I never complained about the city’s services. Hell, I have friends in every city department and they are decent honest people from (almost the top ) on down. The fines aren’t their fault and this is not about those friends at all. Everyone has to do their jobs. But when Dan from NH got a $50 fine for visitor pass abuse I was mad.
With four visitor passes should I have rotated them? What’s the sense of having visitor passes if the rules are so strict and unfair? I know. I should have read the rules because rules are rules. Too late now. I got my “visitor passes” for free because I’m over 65 but now I’ve paid for them.
The City of Somerville got $80 bucks out of me in one fell swoop. Swoop this, money grabbers!
How about a friendly warning for an out of state visitor? A warning like they issue the week before street sweeping resumes. It’s like we are saying “Somerville does not care about people, only money.” This was certainly not any way to treat a “visitor” and he most definitely did not get a “pass!”
Again, this has nothing to do with the fine folks on the parking control force. As I said I have longtime friends in that department and they are all excellent people. It’s the way the constricting violation guidelines are written. It’s like entrapment. I paid these ridiculous fines for my son’s talented and hardworking friend. I could request a hearing but I’m not. I only go near city facilities when I absolutely have to, like the dentist. They can use my $80 to pay for more annoying mass mailings to keep the same old sorry faces in their comfy seats up at 93 Highland Ave. I rip them up.
The parking control officers have a very difficult job. I’ve had many friends who did that job and I give them so much respect and credit. I couldn’t do it. They have a lot of guts and responsibility.
Winter is around the corner, so we had better all brush up on our snow shoveling and snow emergency restrictions. While we’re at it don’t put your trash out too early and all extra trash bags must be … blah-blah-blah!
How about enforcing bicyclists rules? Jaywalking rules? And, oh my God! Don’t drive in the designated bus lane! Bring back Yester Ville. Bring back my city. Millennial Ville stinks. Leave an hour early if you’re gonna drop your kids off at school. Bring a lunch if you’re driving anywhere in this city. Don’t trip over the missing bricks in Davis Square. And I’ll still defend Somerville every chance I get, but to getting harder and harder.
And if you’re concerned about the monstrosity proposed that will obliterate our beloved Davis Square, check this link out. www.davisnow.org and please visit Jack Connolly’s Councilor At-Large candidate video on YouTube. If you want the old Somerville back, elect a guy who has been here all along. Jack’s not afraid to tell it like it is.
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Say it like it is Jimmy, you always do! I loved YesterVille now I can’t wait to get out, which I’m sure is the end goal of the city.
If I remember correctly Bill White didn’t want any of this permit stuff when it first started.Not sure about now if he changed his mind. We have trouble having company as we only have 2 passes but no place for their cars now. Every year the amount of cars here increase and the city takes away parking every year. My math says that does not work.
This is the worst of all Jimmy’s articles, which is really saying something.
First, when you get ticketed for parking too far from the curb, you deserve it. That car must have been a foot off the curb if it got written up… I don’t care what state you’re from, learn how to flippin’ park a vehicle! 1000% deserved.
Secondly, the ticket for visitor pass abuse is also fully earned. If you’ve lived here for so long, you know the rules inside-out and that it’s your job tome sure your guests follow them. So follow them! Parking is competitive anywhere on the street and the last thing we need is people abusing the rules everybody else follows. And how the hell do you have four visitor passes anyway? And you get them for free just for being old? Get out of here.
All those other rules you’re complaining about… sidewalk shoveling, snow emergency parking, cyclists following the law, pedestrians jumping in front of cars, driving in the bus lane…. we have these rules in place for very good reasons. It has nothing to do with millennials vs townies or whatever split you’re trying to create… there are jerks in both groups that think they’re special and above the rules and who need to be ticketed. There are also plenty of people in both groups that respect the rules and are fair to their neighbors.
It sounds like you’re one of the jerks, Jimmy, and that you’re salty about getting fined over it.
Rules are indeed rules, and have been since Jimmy was too young to drive.
Make Somerville Great Again?!?
Maybe Bill White can get all the traffic signals removed, and evict all the non-native Villens.
Reactionary BS!
I’ve moved to Medford. Jimmy’s guests can have my spot.
If you watch the 311 twitter, you will see neighbors notifying traffic and parking the minute a visitor pass get used.
Which is not to say some people do not abuse it and why I pay a little extra to get one of the longer stay passes.
Not too often that I have company that long with out just letting them use the driveway, but sometimes it has been handy.
I can imagine that for houses with no off street that Air B-n-B that this would be a regular problem.
Now if you want to have a conversation about getting fined for garbage when your neighbor put out so much it spills in front of your house, I am in.
I remember when we didn’t have permit parking. West Somerville (next to Tufts) was flooded with student vehicles and parking on the side streets was impossible when Tufts was in session. Permit parking has it’s downsides but if you want to know what Somerville was like before permit parking, go to a Medford side street around Tufts. Read the out of state license plates and you’ll be grateful you don’t have to park there…
I agree whole-heartily with this “rant”. I don’t like to complain and love Somerville but the planes roaring over my house. Restricted bus lane that I drive next to every morning around the corner from my house on Sycamore to all the parking spots removed on Broadway because of it. If I was a retail business owner I would be so annoyed.
The parking in winter is going to reach a critical mass. Like you I have a great experience with Traffic & Parking, Police and Public Works. City Hall is out of control!
No the plan to destroy Davis Square and make it like Kendall Square. Horrible! What a shame.
Good Rant Jimmy, I think you are expressing most Somerville residents feelings on what is going on.
Concerned Citizen,
Sean
Dear “ Joe”. It’s just my opinion. Not trying to create splits. I dont even go anywhere in Somerville to witness any splits. And I like getting your blood pressure pumping! And PS.. that’s not nice calling me a jerk!! You hurt my feelings!!!LOL and one more thing… when I voice MY opinions publicly I’m man enough to use my full name. Have a … fine day!
I’m with Jimmy
Just wanted to add my last name to my reply to “Joe “ Glad to see you’re reading my stories. I’m just speaking for me! Don’t read it next time… or better still write your own story or have someone write it for you. Have a nice day. I’ll try not to piss you off next time !!
Sorry Jimmy, but I have no sympathy for you on this one. This whole article seems pretty immature to me. Take responsibility for yourself.
Tony. I wasn’t looking for sympathy. I paid the fines. I still think there are too many fines and violations. I am guilty of not reading the fine print. Ill try to never to complain about anything in my column again. I’ll try !
Jimmy you go right ahead and rant – it’s what we all do, even these holier-than-thou fussbudgets do it when nobody is looking.
I’ll reserve judgement on infraction #1 until I see the exact situation. And the time limit on visitor passes is absolutely ridiculous. Things changed when traffic and parking’s purpose went from regulating traffic and parking to revenue generation (wasn’t that long ago a parking permit was $3…).
Just to be clear, was the”fine print” you violated the number of days the car was parked using the pass? Because that “fine print” is in 2 inch lettering on the front of the pass.
And no, the solution would not be to rotate the passes. Visitors are limited to parking 2 days or 3 days, depending on the pass you have. Visitors aren’t entitled to park indefinitely as long as their host has enough free passes to rotate. Our community’s public resources aren’t for Jimmy’s personal use for as long as Jimmy feels like. And our rules aren’t for everyone except Jimmy.
If you have a guest who will overstay the allowed limit, they need to park in a garage or other private parking spot. You certainly wouldn’t like it if your neighbors took up the parking on your street for as long as they felt like it. Golden Rule.
And without penalties and fines, people won’t follow the rules. Even with the existing fines, which it is hard to believe a life long Somervillian didn’t know about, you didn’t bother to follow the rules. You are either completely thoughtless or you thought you’d get away with it. Either way, you should be contrite rather than indignant.
Points all well taken. Thank you
“Millennial Ville?” Do you really have to go there? FYI the Millennials that you clearly have a disdain for pay just as much as you do. Trust me, they are not the root of your problems here. What makes you think you’re above a ticket, though, I wonder? Could it be the sense of entitlement so often attributed (wrongly, in my opinion) to your Millennial neighbors?