San Francisco the same thing, though it is not admitted.

One of the guys I worked with for the City became a "Parking control officer" (what we call a "meter maid"). The abuse they took from motorists was amazing, they were really hated, they got assaulted, hit, food and other stuff thrown at them by pi$$ed off drivers.

But Abdul was from Pakistan, he was really a tough piece of work, he could dish it out as good as you please. People who messed with him were REALLY sorry that they did.

He told me they would put an old M&M's chocolate wrapper on the dashboard of their personal cars, so they could park anywhere, and that was the signal for OTHER meter maids not to give THEM a ticket.

Most of the time, on their shift, they'd just go to a bar and drink and play cards, all day long, then about a half hour before the shift ended, they would go out and write a blitz of parking tickets, justgo on down down the line, and write parking tickets for EVERY single car, one after another, illegally parked or not.

That way, it would look like at least they did SOMETHING that day.

Sometimes they had to go direct traffic, in big jams, but for the most part it was a pretty good gig for them (he said).

That was quite a few years ago, but I am pretty sure it is still pretty much mostly the same, no body really knew or cared about it.

__________________
1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

I live here. Compared to NYC, hotels here are cheap. If I were visiting from out of town and wanted the DC experience, here's where I would stay (in order):

http://www.armynavyclub.org/

http://washington.intercontinental.com/

http://www.hotelwashington.com

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/wassh-renaissance-mayflower-hotel/

http://www.hayadams.com

DC character is uniquely American: It combines Northern charm and Southern efficiency.


Unless you need it to drive out to the country, park you car in the hotel’s garage.

__________________
Michael

1988 300 SL (5 Speed)
1994 E320 Wagon
1997 C230

If you want to see some nice scenery, take the George Washington Parkway west from DC. The Parkway runs along the Virginia side of the Potomac, which is one of the prettiest rivers you will see. The overlooks also have nice views back toward the city. The Parkway ends at the Beltway, which is to be avoided at all costs, but the exit ramp for the Beltway will take you to Georgetown Pike (Route 193) without ever having to get on the Beltway. Take Route 193 west to Great Falls National Park. Spectacular (in my opinion) water falls and rocks to climb around on. Especially nice if the river is up. While you are there, look for the poles marking the high water marks from major storms over the years. The amount of water carried by that gorge boggles the mind.

If you avoid rush hour (and you definitely need to do that) the round trip will take less than an hour and half, not including stops of course.

The town of Great Falls is a couple miles further west. Several good lunch/dinner opportunities there.

You might also look into visiting the Maryland side of Great Falls. When I was last there, you could not see the Falls very well from the Maryland side because the footbridge had been washed out, but that was 25 years ago. I don't know what it's like these days.

He is spinning because he is in a damn circle! I WANT A GRID!!!

The Greeks got it right 3000 years ago!

__________________
"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy"

Current
Monika '74 450 SL
BrownHilda '79 280SL
FoxyCleopatra '99 Chevy Suburban
Scarlett 2014 Jeep Cherokee
Krystal 2004 Volvo S60
Gone
'74 Jeep CJ5
'97 Jeep ZJ Laredo
Rudolf ‘86 300SDL
Bruno '81 300SD
Fritzi '84 BMW
'92 Subaru
'96 Impala SS
'71 Buick GS conv
'67 GTO conv
'63 Corvair conv
'57 Nomad

Not to hijack the thread, but I had a friend who was a meter maid in White Plains, NY. He would do the same thing as well as extort the local merchants for free food, etc with the threat of towing their patron's cars!

__________________
"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy"

Current
Monika '74 450 SL
BrownHilda '79 280SL
FoxyCleopatra '99 Chevy Suburban
Scarlett 2014 Jeep Cherokee
Krystal 2004 Volvo S60
Gone
'74 Jeep CJ5
'97 Jeep ZJ Laredo
Rudolf ‘86 300SDL
Bruno '81 300SD
Fritzi '84 BMW
'92 Subaru
'96 Impala SS
'71 Buick GS conv
'67 GTO conv
'63 Corvair conv
'57 Nomad

I used to live in Tulsa, OK. It's laid out like a checker board. You're right about that. It was really hard to get lost there!

DC, on the other hand, is quite easy to get lost in.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Growing up in America...

I hitchhiked many an afternoon home from North Capital and I Streets up to NY Ave. Across to Mass. Ave to Wisconsin then out to Bethesda.
People actually weren't afraid of picking up HS boys hitchiking in those days.

Metro?....pffftt.. Interstate hiways?.. just getting started. Too big a hassle to take the bus, too many transfers.
If you didn't have a carpool ride to HS, you hitched.

Griffith Stadium, the Senators, the lilly white Redskins, and city football champs in 1959.

Damn, Jim, you're older than I thought you were!

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Clean living.

I live in the tri-state area and you definitely want to use Metro subway. It's great, fast and easy on the coinage.

__________________
"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL

I took this picture on the GW Parkway today. I'll let it speak for itself.



-J

__________________
1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.

Well, that's no fun. On the other hand, that bit of countryside from Key Bridge up to Great Falls is about as pretty as it gets. You have to get off the road to see it, but that stretch of the Potomac River and all the ravines and woods running down to it are Virginia at her best, IMHO. It's got too many people, but it's possible to find some quiet places here and there. As I recall, you are new to Northern Virginia. If you haven't made it to Great Falls yet, you need to do it. The entire Shenandoah Valley, parts of Maryland, and a huge chunk of West Virginia all drain through that narrow gorge. It makes for some spectacular scenery.

Other choice if you're staying for a week or so is to grab a vacation sublet apartment in town via Craigslist or AirBnB. I've both rented mine out (in NYC) and rented others' apartments, and I've had good luck with that, no horror stories to report.

Good scenery? Take the 66 to the 211 through Thornton's Gap, then go play on the Skyline. Shouldn't be too many crotch rocketeers out if you go early in springtime.

You mean, "tough piece of crap." Hope he's in jail now, and that the Aryan Brotherhood is showing him a good time. Fining people who did nothing wrong is dirty as hell.

Even from the roadway it's quite nice. It was so neat driving it last week in the middle of the day when there was no traffic and the leaves were changing.

-J