No Respect for ANC Members!
The trappings of office for an advisory neighborhood commissioner are few, but one nice thing is that you can get a little placard for your car announcing that you’re “ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS,” allowing you to park in certain places off limits to the hoi polloi.
This afternoon, official parking was scarce outside the Wilson Building, so one commissioner decided to put her placard to use. A blue Mercury Capri, belonging to former 5B10 Commissioner Kathy Henderson (mother of current 5B10 Commissioner India Henderson, who was along for the trip), was parked in the median of Pennsylvania Avenue NW in front of the building. Seeing as today was the judiciary committee’s oversight hearing on the Metropolitan Police Department, there were also a few police vehicles parked in the middle of the street, too.
The authorities apparently have no respect for the Hendersons’ “OFFICIAL BUSINESS”—which was to attend the police hearing:
“It’s ridiculous,” says Kathy Henderson, who says the ticket was issued by the D.C. Protective Services Department. She called the department up and explained that ANC members with a placard are allowed to park in official spaces. “They said, ‘We don’t know anything about that.’”
4 Responses to “No Respect for ANC Members!”
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December 1st, 2007 at 1:03 am
Mistake, DC Protective Services. ANC members are the real power in this town.
December 3rd, 2007 at 12:16 pm
Is parking in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue really an “official space?” I thought the reason that it was not legal to park in certain spaces (such as the median between two lanes of traffic) is because it wasn’t a safe place to park. Nobody should be parking there, police or otherwise. If spaces are to be reserved for official use, then they should be marked as such.
December 3rd, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Not exactly official spaces, but government vehicles–police cruisers, cars w/ GT and federal plates, councilmembers’ private vehicles–routinely park in the median.
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:25 pm
I guess I’m unclear on why such people on “official business” should be able to park wherever they want. This wasn’t ever marked as a place to park, so there must be a reason. If it’s not an emergency then it shouldn’t be done. If the median is OK, what else is? What isn’t? Who makes that call? That’s why we have parking spaces.
I realize this isn’t exactly the point you were making. But as to that - is there some reason ANC commissioners can’t take metro like everyone else? No, they don’t get much respect. But considering that most are elected by somewhere between 10 and 100 votes, and most don’t really do a heck of a lot except promote their personal agendas/vendettas, should they?
I’m more OK with cops taking parking liberties (since we’d rather they enforce the law than spend unnecessary time in transportation). But I’m skeptical that ANC commissioners should be afforded the same privilege.