Golfcart Gestapo, April 3, 2011
[dcs_p]Angie had a run-in with the Golfcart Gestapo yesterday. Delray Beach has a peculiar volunteer “civilian” police force relegated to the enforcement of parking violations. Basically, they’re meter-maids on steroids. Not a very nice bunch to represent the town, particularly since they have a reputation of being overzealous and over silly. These guys are all white and all old, a gray-haired gestapo patrolling parking lots and side streets. Ask yourself what kind of jackass volunteers to ride around in a golfcart and ticket old ladies whose handicapped stickers have fallen off their dashboards, and you’ve got an idea of the mentality we’re dealing with here.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Yesterday, Angie took her mother and eighty-four year old aunt to meet a bunch of ladies for breakfast at Poppies on Linton Boulevard. One of the crusty old gents was on patrol, idling his golfcart as he watched the trio alight from her SUV. Mind you, Angie parked in a handicapped spot with her Aunt Tia’s permit placed on her dashboard. The old lady shuffled to the door of the restaurant on her walker–a ten minute task.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]When Angie came out an hour later, there was a $200.00 ticket tucked beneath her wiper-blades. The citation was issued because one digit in the permit’s expiration date was not visible. This, after watching the old lady hobble in. Because Aunt Tia was all worn out from her outing, Angie took her home and then drove to the station on Atlantic Avenue and showed them the ticket and valid permit.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Not good enough for the Gestapo. The permit holder has to appear in person. Angie called me in frustration and I sent our son, Tony, to take Aunt Tia to the police station. He said they examined Tia’s ID and permit like an evidence team from Quantico while she was hanging on her walker and wheezing. Tony was good-natured about it, but Angie was still fuming at dinner.[/dcs_p]
