snow emergency

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

I have just been informed that the City of Somerville has declared a snow emergency. Move your vehicle if you need to. Don't want anyone getting towed.

Comments

[rmd.livejournal.com]

details on snow emergency info at http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us/whatsnew/view_item.asp?id=593 (http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us/whatsnew/view_item.asp?id=593)

[fidgetmonster.livejournal.com]

unfortuantely, their website is giving off errors more often than actual pages. maybe the city should switch to a web provider that doesn't max out!

HTTP 403.9 - Access Forbidden: Too many users are connected

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

s/a web provider/web server software/ According to Netcraft, they're running Microsoft IIS. IME when web sites get slashdotted with a "too many users" error it's usually the server software. If the pipe gets overloaded it just means the web site becomes i-n-t-o-l-e-r-a-b-l-y s-l-o-w.

[swingchickie.livejournal.com]

did you get the e-mail? what's the most efficiant way to find out? i managed to have parking on the odd side already, but i have yet to receive the e-mail announcement. if i'd waited for it, i'd have been screwed out of finding any parking!

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

see the website in rmd's comment; that webpage has a number you can call. I don't live in Somerville, but most of my friends do. Was contemplating going to a gathering at a friend's tonight until that friend told me a snow emergency was in effect, so I stayed home. I think there's a phone notification thing you can also sign up for, but that probably won't do you any good *right now*.

[swingchickie.livejournal.com]

yeah, i called the number at 6:45, and it said there was no emergency. 5 minutes later, as i walked into davis to get cocoa, i heard the police sirens whooping and their loudspeaker announcements that there was a parking ban. i guess their timing is a bit off. :)

[pir.livejournal.com]

I got the email announcement a little while ago, somewhat after hearing the cops drive by announcing it and looking at the city's website and seeing the announcement there.

The emergency started at 6pm and enforcement starts 6 hours later (midnight).

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

Am I really going to get towed? There's a bunch of cars on the odd side of the street... and I'm sick. :P I totally don't want to move my car.

[mrmiasma.livejournal.com]

I think 'round my place the first or second snow emergency a year or two ago they decided to make an example and tow a whole slew of cars on my block. Usually you'll just get a ticket. I think they only tow once in awhile.. at least by me, and i'm a block off of Somerville Ave.

So, gamble =).

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

Hmm, yeah, I'll do it next time. ANy idea what company usually tows?

[swingchickie.livejournal.com]

the last time i got towed (i parked at 11:45am, when the street sweeping thing was over in 15 minutes, bastards), i had to go to the lot that's out by the target on somerville ave. and yes, you will get a $50 ticket and have to pay the towing company $100, cash. blecch.

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

Yep. I just got that 50 dollar ticket. Any idea how to fight it?

[swingchickie.livejournal.com]

nope. i paid it. street cleaning (or snow emergency, or whatever) is set in stone, and even though they had already swept the street, i wasn't supposed to park there until noon... so they had the right to ticket and tow me. unfortunately, somerville is known for being one of the most aggressive towns when it comes to ticketing.

anyone remember last year, when they called a snow emergency, and we only got 3 inches of snow, and they ticketed hundreds and hundreds of people anyway? it ended up as a story in the boston globe, and they were finally embarrassed into tearing up everyone's tickets.

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

I had TWO on my car this morning -- one for snow, one for "20 foot from intersection". ???

I mean, what the hell.

[swingchickie.livejournal.com]

yup, i've gotten tickets for that too. it's so random... there'll be cars everywhere that are practically IN the intersection, that don't get ticketed... then i'll park a car's-length in, and get a ticket. it completely sucks.

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

What's even the point of that? Is the 20-foot thing just during snow emergencies, or what? I'm starting to not even want a car.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

Yes, Somerville will ticket AND tow your car. This is one thing they are very strict about. I think it's something like $150 to get your car back. If you are still awake, try to find a place for your car. Go onto Somerville's website and you can find locations of various lots if there are no places on your street.

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

Man. =/ What if I move it in the morning? ;) I mean, do they come around in the middle of the night?

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

According to the email I got, they began ticketing/towing at midnight. Now, they don't tow every car, but still, it's a roll of the dice. And this really sucks, having to go through this every single storm.

To save yourself grief, if you have a cellphone with SMS, you can be notified via that. It's how I learned about the snow emergency.

Good luck.

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

I just got that 50 dollar ticket. Any idea how to fight it?

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

p.s. I was seriously sick during the period the snow started/I got ticketed, think it'll help?