Headless Justice

In the midst of December, as my wife an I were helping my younger daughter move, from one apartment to another.... we found ourselves parking at a meter in the Andersonville area of Chicago. As I climbed the giant mound of snow, in order to access the parking meter I noticed something unusual.

It appeared that the entire top of the meter was missing... the meter was wide open to the elements,and there was no place to put a coin.

So, we parked scott-free (or so I thought) and went and organized our Elizabeth's new apartment.

Upon our return, there was a ticket attached to our windshield. Seriously?? Seriously!!

In order to write us a ticket, the meter person would have had to look at the meter, and assuredly noticed that the meter had no top. I double-checked to make sure that I had identified the correct meter (I had)... so I could not understand how any meter reader would be able to determine how I was in violation.

I had the presence of mind to take a photo of the "missing" meter head, with my cell phone, and sent in my protest, along with a photo of the damaged meter... to the powers that be, and promptly forgot about it.

Yesterday, we received in the mail, a letter from the Circuit Court of Cook County stating that they had "investigated" my claim that the meter "through no fault of my own" was inoperative... and had found the claim to be unsubstantiated, and the fine remained owed.

Seriously!!?

I paid the ticket.