Rhino's Ramblings: Monopoly and Free Parking

Robert Thomas

In the game of Monopoly there are two corner squares which, if you land on them, have the exact opposite effect. One is where the jail is and the other is Free Parking. For more than a few the City of Moose Jaw just turned both of those squares in the local game of Downtown Monopoly into paying a fine.

After years of relative calm the issue of free parking in the downtown core reared it’s ugly head with the latest rendition of the Traffic Bylaw and the elimination of free parking for metered stalls in the City. In what many saw as a right -  physically disabled people with placards as well as military veterans with the appropriate license plate – while others saw as a privilege the exemption is now gone. You had better keep some change in the console or glove box to feed the mechanical metallic tax collector or risk a fine.

One thing which made our City unique and more caring than many others in the Province is now gone. The problem for more than a few is not knowing when was this discussed and how it happened? How did such a policy, which was fought hard over in the past, change? It’s something which has more than a couple scratching their heads about. How could anybody speak up if they didn’t know it was going to occur? While others just outright express the view the City just got meaner plain and simple.

While on the other side of the 6 inch raised curb there is a group who see it as an equality issue and finally we are all equal. Everybody is now paying their fair share which is what equality is suppose to be about now isn’t it?

For some business people, the end of the free parking for those with placards is welcomed. For a couple of business owners there were claims made that staff from nearby businesses were tying up stalls for 8 hours at a time as they merely put up a placard in their vehicle window and went to work. Thereby harming their business by tying up available out front parking seemingly the entire day.

Some businesses felt they were powerless to stop this despite the fact if you read the old Traffic Bylaw you'll see that tickets can be issued after two hours in the same parking space. Going out and plugging a meter or having a placard or a veterans plate – free or otherwise - doesn’t mean you can be in a spot all day.

Tires can be chalked and a ticket issued for parking longer than two hours in most metered parking spots. But sadly the world wide tire chalk shortage brought on by the massive growth in children’s sidewalk chalk hit the City hard. And the limited supplies were severely rationed.

So what seems to have developed was free parking for some and steep payments for others.
But really, where did this special privilege of allowing those with disability placards and military plates originate in the first place?

Well, it’s a simple answer. It actually came about years ago in a Citizen's Advisory Committee which was designed to hear feedback from ordinary citizens on issues and policies that affect them. The committee, which mainly discussed the issue, was the Transportation Advisory Committee.

The committee deals with getting around in Moose Jaw and includes transit as well as parking.
About three councils ago the issue came up in a broader discussion regarding disability parking spots some people get – with a doctor’s form duly filled out the applicant pays for the sign and installation – in front of their homes. At that time it was mentioned that people with disability placards were receiving free parking and so were vehicles with veterans plates.

Concerns were raised about the length of time some people were parking for free and that it should not exceed the three hours. The committee asked the police liaison officer about it who indicated it was a policy of the head commissionaire but the concern would be passed along. And that was the end of it.

There were concerns raised in the committee about people receiving special privileges but those concerns were countered by arguments regarding snow clearing, hardship and being a more accessible city.

So how do I know these things? Simple; I was on the committee. And as a disclaimer I personally supported and spoke out in favour of the two hour free parking for those with disability placards.
It also was part of a program of eliminating designated disability parking spots downtown. By allowing people with placards to park anywhere downtown for free for two hours it allowed the elimination of placard-only parking spots. It helped out businesses who felt the placard-only limitation harmed their businesses. Sadly it almost seems like something forgotten with this change in policy.

A policy change which actually continues to discriminate in favour of out of province or on point of origin grounds when it comes to free parking. A policy the business community favours and advertises on to bring in out of town dollars. The same question of fairness, if applied to placards and veterans plates, should it not be applied to them as well? Or is it just an admission that it’s too costly to go after unpaid parking fines from Arizona?

Perhaps it’s time the City reviews the entire parking policy in the downtown core and look at what other cities have done.

I'm not speaking about cities with meters like Regina and Saskatoon who draw shoppers in from other cities but ones like Swift Current, Lloydminster, North Battleford and Medicine Hat. How about just eliminating the parking meters altogether and replacing them with free two hour parking?

If the goal is to keep space available and traffic moving to help out businesses, why not emulate other centres and just implement stricter two hour limits, enforcement and fines? Isn’t this a better type of equal treatment?

Meanwhile I will admit there are more than a few people with physical disabilities who are more than willing to pay the parking fees as the stereotype of people with disabilities are poor is wrong. The problem is that many are poor due to the added costs and weak economic opportunities then some of those physically disabled who had good jobs before they were hurt, got sick or grew older are.

To say those who make use of free parking or designated parking in front of their homes because they want an advantage or a privilege,, in my opinion is a lack of understanding regarding what life is like for many people with physical disabilities or illnesses. Just ask someone in a wheelchair about digitals and how they poop if you don’t believe me.

As someone in a wheelchair once told me when I said it must be sweet to be able to park so close to the store, he would "gladly turn the placard back in and all of the ‘privileges’ along with it just to walk one more time before" he died.

Despite the great advances in acceptance and opportunities, life for many placard holders is not a bed of roses. This policy change just makes it a little bit harder as they roll a seven and land on Community Chest and hope to draw a Free Parking card.