Because the D.C. City Council strongly believes in such things as motor vehicle safety and "clean streets" and *cough* *cough* REVENUE *cough* among other things, it has taken a number of steps in 2009 -- more speed cameras, including tunnel speed cameras, greater enforcement of minor traffic violations, and SWEEPER-CAMS -- to punish drivers for driving their cars, anywhere. Soon D.C. motorists can expect personal city-constructed robots from Hell to simply ride in their passenger seats and charge fees on a second-per-second basis for everything vaguely illegal. We blame Europe!
The latest "pilot program" in the War on Motorcars, already active under the guise of "testing," involves "a parking system in which curbside parking rates increase every hour, on the hope of encouraging drivers to use off-street parking and mass transit more often." Why not just confiscate everyone's first-born instead?
The District is testing its usurious new system right now in two locations, according to the Examiner: the areas surrounding Nationals Park ("Condo Death Valley") and murder-friendly Columbia Heights.
The D.C. Council established the pilot programs in response to concerns about the availability of short-term parking for residents following the opening of the new ballpark in Southeast Washington and a giant retail complex in Columbia Heights. Near the ballpark, people can pay $1 to $2 for one hour of parking, but after that the price jumps to $8 an hour. After three hours, the price returns to $2.
Well now, that's just... good public policy. But still! The obvious evasive maneuver here is to not pay for parking at all and take your chances, duh.
Jim Newell writes for Wonkette and IvyGate.
