Just plain wrong

Between 3:30 and 5:30, as you may already have read, the city does not want you to park on Water Street in the 600 block. This is so that the street remains clear for “rush hour” traffic. Not having people parking in that lane ostensibly opens a third lane for all the downtown traffic. But since it is not marked, and since the meter kiosk does not tell you cannot park there. People do anyway. And then with the incessantly hovering meter readers, 2 lanes are blocked. Throw in a tow truck and all 3 and sometimes the outside, oncoming lane is blocked. What is the point? If the city needs the street clear it is not being accomplished. The present system is a mess, it doesn’t do anything except make money for the city and for the towing companies. It is a misery for all the people who park there and most of them very unknowingly leave their cars because the city deliberately does not make it obvious that you are going to be ticketed much less towed.

In the first shot is the guy is begging the meter reader (unsuccessfully) for mercy. The checker is in the 2nd lane, and in the other the tow truck is blocking all traffic.