Posted by Jon Renaut
Wed, 23 May 2007 22:12:00 GMT
Now, I'm sure Officer Key is just doing his/her job. But that doesn't mean I appreciate the parking parking ticket I got this morning. $100. Failure to register the car in DC. The policewoman at the station on V St. said my guest parking permit should be all I need. Apparently she's a liar. On the bright side, however, I now have official DMV-issued temporary tags. I made it from Pentagon City to Columbia Heights (via Metro) to 95 M St SW (via car), got my tags, back to Columbia Heights, put them on, and back to Pentagon City in three hours flat.
That's two trips to the DMV at 95 M St SW, and two great experiences. Yes, they gave me dirty looks because I haven't registered the car in time. But I didn't wait long, and they took care of my problem for another 45 days. By then I'll have my title, and I'll be able to get real tags.
I really can't say enough about how the DMV has exceeded my expectations. True, my expectations were pretty low. And I don't particularly appreciate the $100 ticket (Not that the DMV gave me that, but they played their role). But I was expecting at least the fourth or fifth circle of Hell when I walked in to the DC DMV, and I got quick and efficient service. The lady at the metal detector even complimented my hemp messenger bag as she searched it.
Well, I guess I can say enough about the DMV. I'm done now.
Posted in Cars, Parking, DC government | no comments
Posted by Jon Renaut
Tue, 22 May 2007 22:57:00 GMT
Dear Wonkette readers:
Uh. . . hey. How's it going? I figure since (with three links since May 3rd) you all make up over 96% of my traffic in the last thirty days, I should say hello.
So, hello. I hope you're enjoying it here.
I'm not exactly sure why I've been linked three times this month. It's certainly nice to have people reading what I'm writing. My return traffic hasn't gone up all that much, though, so either I'm not keeping your interest, or you're all using RSS readers, which I'm not tracking.
I really have no idea how I could be failing to keep your interest, though. I mean, who can resist listening to me complain about owning a car in the city? You should all be riveted. And look out - later this week or early next, I expect to make a return trip to the DMV to try and get temporary tags while I wait for my title to arrive. I know you're just shaking in anticipation, but you're going to have to wait.
Posted in Cars, Parking | no comments
Posted by Jon Renaut
Mon, 21 May 2007 13:06:00 GMT
The guy who lives upstairs in my building must be protecting my car from harm. Since moving into the building in January, he's had his convertible top cut. He had a window broken. He's been ticketed numerous times, and towed at least twice. And last night, a hit-and-run left the whole side of his car smashed.
Now, some might argue that he has a parking spot in back that he doesn't always use. Some would probably have a point. But I like to think that his car is a little magic talisman that attracts minor disaster, leaving my car protected from all evil. Well, I have had a few bumper taps from people parking. But that's an accepted part of living in the city.
I worry about what's going to happen when the new condos at the Columbia Heights Metro station open up. It's already crowded here, and that's undoubtedly going to make parking a nightmare. Zipcar gets more appealing every day.
Posted in Cars, Parking | 2 comments
Posted by Jon Renaut
Sun, 20 May 2007 23:34:00 GMT
Capital One may have saved themselves. I called on Friday to find out if they had started the process of sending my title. The first person I spoke to didn't know much, but eventually I was transferred to a woman in the titling department. Seems to make sense, since I was, in fact, calling about my title.
She gave me the usual, "Oh, it's going to take three weeks" speech that I've heard before. But then she asked if I'd like a request for temporary registration or something like that. I've forgotten exactly what she said, but I have it written down at work. She told me they could send that out in 72 hours, and that would let me get some sort of temporary registration so I don't get ticketed.
Now, I'm not sure why no one told me this the first time I called. Well, the first time I called they thought they'd send the actual title in 72 hours, so maybe that's why they didn't share this option. But certainly the person I talked to last week could have offered this. And it remains to be seen whether the DMV will accept this. It was already 3:30 PM when I found this out, and I figured that the DMV phone line would be hopeless at that hour on a Friday. But first thing Monday I'm going to find out if this will help me. If so, Capital One may safely reach base this time, but not without a stern look from the manager.
Posted in Life, Cars, Parking | no comments
Posted by Jon Renaut
Sat, 21 Apr 2007 14:17:00 GMT
This morning, I checked my traffic for yesterday and found that it was about five times normal on Friday. Looks like my previous post got a mention on DC Blogs. That's pretty cool. It appears to have been overshadowed by a somewhat heated discussion on some on- and off-line drama, but that's okay.
As a follow up, the reason they blocked off the street became apparent this morning as I was woken by the sound of a large construction machine tearing up the street right in front of the house. They removed a chunk of pavement about ten feet by twenty feet, put down some metal screens, and then repaved. Not sure what that accomplished, but they seem pretty efficient at getting it done.
It is also a beautiful day, and we have flag football in a few hours. This is only my second game of the season, and the team's third, due mostly to rain.
Also, tomorrow is my birthday. Looks like a pretty good weekend.
Posted in Life, Exercise, Parking, Weather | no comments
Posted by Jon Renaut
Thu, 19 Apr 2007 20:58:00 GMT
This morning, I got my first parking ticket since I moved to the city. They have emergency - no parking signs up in front of my house, and I thought that meant no parking between the signs. Apparently it means no parking just beyond the signs, either.
My initial reaction was, "I'm selling my stupid car. I do most of my driving these days when I have to move it for street cleaning. I can use the Zipcars right down the street". But then I got some Sierra Nevada from Hi Market and talked to my wife, and I feel a little better about it.
Still, the thought of getting rid of the car is getting stronger. Already I think about it as a nuisance more often than I think about it as a convenience. I don't really want to give it up, though. If Zipcars had manual transmissions, it would be easier. I know, I'm being ridiculous if I keep my car just because I want a manual transmission. But that's my right, I think.
I've also been given a "you have 15 days to get your car registered in DC, clown" notice. Maybe I'll go park it at my grandmother's house in Virginia for a few weeks until I can get that taken care of. This is a huge pain. I don't really have time to go to the DMV and get all this taken care of. I hear all sorts of horror stories about the DMV. I don't want to subject myself to that.
However, one $50 ticket and fear of the DMV is probably not a good reason to sell my car, though. We do still use it about once a week. I don't think I'm really prepared to get rid of it yet.
Posted in Parking | 2 comments
Posted by Jon Renaut
Thu, 22 Mar 2007 20:24:00 GMT
Wirefly National Marathon
I just realized that my street is closed from 8:25AM to 12:05PM on Saturday as the marathon goes past. That should be interesting. Our flag football game is at noon, I think, so we'll have to make sure we can get the car out. I don't suppose parking around here is going to be easy at that point. Maybe we'll have to take the bus or something.
Posted in Community, Parking | no comments
Posted by Jon Renaut
Mon, 19 Mar 2007 22:00:00 GMT
Ever gone in the back entrance of the zoo? The one off Adams Mill and Harvard, not Connecticut. If you haven't, you probably have no idea that every single path in the zoo going from east to west is uphill. Every one.
I found that out the hard way, it turns out. Went out for a run, decided to go through the zoo and see if I liked that route.
I don't.
Actually, it wasn't too bad. It was about a 45 minute round-trip from Columbia Heights through Mount Pleasant through the zoo, past Woodley Park Metro, back through Adam's Morgan, and home.
Now it's starting to rain, and of course I have to move my car. It's a few blocks away, furthest away I've had to park since we moved here.
I'll wait until 6:30 when both sides of the street are open for parking. Meanwhile, I'm going to get out a pen and paper and try and figure out how I managed to run for 40 minutes, return to my original destination, and never go downhill. By my calculations, I should be about thirty feet above the roof of the house.
Posted in Sports, Exercise, Parking, Getting around, Weather | 2 comments
Posted by Jon Renaut
Tue, 13 Mar 2007 20:32:00 GMT
Every weekday, the right side of Harvard Street is closed for parking during rush hour, both morning and evening. That gives traffic two lanes on this one-way street, and parking one lane. It's a big cut-through between 16th and 14th, so traffic is pretty heavy at times.
On Tuesdays, they clean the left side of the street. So there's no parking there all day, and the parking restriction on the right side of the street is lifted. In the winter, there is no street cleaning, so these rules don't apply.
However, the result of this is not that Tuesday is the same as Monday and Wednesday through Friday. What happens on Tuesday is that everyone ignores the "no parking on the left side" signs, and obeys the "You can park on the right side today" signs. So they park on both sides of the street all day, meaning that the afternoon rush outside my window is particularly heavy. I'm glad I'm already home and parked right out front.
Posted in Parking | no comments
