[ScottyS]

The downtown Reno meter monkey got me too. I was parked, as usual, below UNR in free city spaces next to a park. One day, inexplicably, a $40 fine showed up for "front plate missing". I was pissed, called the parking HQ, and was told to come down, show that I fixed it, and get off free. I did so, and they didn't even want to look at it --- just took the ticket and waved me out the door. The lady couldn't believe that it wasn't connected with something else, and said that they never do that. I, however, know why.

UNR has been stepping up the harassment of the free parking around campus since Lilley took the presidency from Crowley. Yearly permits for UNR parking have sextupled in price (like $300/year for parking that is still 1/3mi away from my lab), area streets were "repaired" and when the construction was over, half the available public spaces were turned into red shoulder/buffer zones instead of parking space. City meter monkeys constantly patrol the neighborhood looking to victimize students and employees who use up all pubic parking for a 1/2mi+ radius. One time I came across a meter monkey checking my car, and was verbally abused for parking with 1 foot of my bumper into the red zone (no ticket, though --- I had my digital camera ready for that). These same meter monkeys used to harass me when I had the downtown DHL delivery route a few years ago, no word if UPS got the same treatment. I treat them with complete distain whenever possible.