"Uncovered trashcan" fine at 3AM during high winds.

[boywonder.livejournal.com]

So how hard up is the City of Somerville for cash? So hard-up, it appears, that they issued an "uncovered trashcan" ticket at 3:00AM (yes, that's right, in the middle of the night) DURING a storm in which Somerville was experiencing high winds and rain. You all remember the one from a few nights ago.

My dad/landlord got a ticket in the mail yesterday, including a photograph of a trashcan on the ground with the lid off on the side of the house. Normally, our trashcans are locked tight with their covers, except, apparently, when high winds and rain knock them over. We are going to appeal the ticket. I just think it is outrageous that this was even issued. Trashcans were down all over the neighborhood, as well as roof shingles everywhere, and small to medium branches on the sidewalks and streets, etc.

Did anyone else get this fine or know of anyone else who had? I mean, if the trashcans weren't picked up and it was, say, 11AM, there may be some merit to the ticket. But since it was issued during the middle of the night and during an ongoing storm, it seems really bizarre.

Comments

[craigindaville.livejournal.com]

I find it hard to imagine them walking in the INCREDIBLY powerful winds that night, taking pictures of violations at 3 in the morning, and feeling like decent human beings. That storm ripped literally half of the roof shingles off of my next-door neighbor's house (gutters and all!) so for them to find it a "violation" that you didn't sit outside with your garbage cans all night replacing the lids every ten seconds hits all-time lows.

I hope that news report gets aired to show how petty this city is becoming. As much as the city claims these are isolated incidents (such as the one pierceheart refers to above) that are accidents or mistakes, they seem to happen far too often.