REEDONKULOUS!: What a beautiful winter day. I feel a little better. Let's take on City Hall:)

I love non-chemo Fridays. It is the first day in my chemo cycle that I don't feel like I have the flu. I know I can stand long enough to have a nice shower, I can probably run some errands, I am turning the corner and feeling better for the next round. The problem with non-chemo Friday is that I am beginning to feel well enough to feel bored with my current life. I need to get to that growing pile of "things to do". On this glorious first snow storm of the winter, where should my priority be? Easy. Parking on my little street.

Anyone who has come to visit me at home will know that "Rosedale Avenue" is a misnomer. It is really little more than a lane. One street over is very wide and has easy access to Colonel By Drive with a four way stop on Aylmer and on Sunnyside and timely snow removal. My little lane is reduced to one lane due to parking on the street and even in summer drivers have no idea who needs to yield to whom. Drivers speed up my little street paying no heed to the small children who play on the sidewalk due to the almost total lack of front lawns. In the winter my street is barely passable. Lillian can attest to this as she has had to collect me from home on occasion just to make sure that I make it into the office. The lengths some clients will go to!

The City does not enforce parking by-laws on Rosedale - ever! People park for days and weeks without getting ticketed - so much for the three hour rule. People park right at laneways, driveways and stop signs, causing safety issues for pedestrians and drivers. And my personal favourite, people park feet away from the curb, taking up an entire lane and, in the winter, blocking me in my driveway.

It is, hypothetically speaking, possible for me to get out of the driveway by removing the snowbank in front of my neighbour's house and putting it across the street. Hypothetically, this has never been a problem, with everyone on the street pulling together as we become gradually snow bound every winter. However, a tenant across the street has a problem with this hypothetical solution. For some reason, she sees this solution as actually removing her ability to park on the street, instead of facilitating it. She and her partner constantly harangue my children when they are out shovelling. Both children have invited them to come into the house to speak to me, but they refuse to do so. Last weekend they called by-law to complain. However, as the solution is merely hypothetical and they never see anyone actually moving the snow, by-law was unable to issue a ticket.

The lovely officer, Mr Christopher Maalouli, took the time to pay me a courtesy call to let me know about the complaint. He was extremely helpful, patient and understanding. Unfortunately, however, he was clear that my hypothetical solution ran contrary to by-laws (even if the snow is already on the city street, apparently you cannot move it from one side of the street to the other). Furthermore, he indicated that the parking too far from the curb by-law, as written, is pretty difficult to enforce during the winter because the curb has to be "clear and visible" in order for a "good ticket" to be issues. Awesome - because it never snows in Ottawa and we certainly don't need any parking control during the winter:) Officer Maalouli was surprised that our lane was actually designated as a two-way street, and suggested my best course of action was to write to my city councillor, who would in turn write to his boss, who would ensure that some by-law officers monitor Rosedale. Why, when there is apparently nothing they can do, I'm not sure - but I figure it was worth a try. His other suggestion was to phone 3-1-1 daily, to report traffic infractions. Awesome! I get to be the new crazy lady of Rosedale Ave. I think I need a new wig for that one!

RECAP: My options are as follows: I can move snow from one side of the street to the other to ensure as much parking as physically possible on my lane and get ticketed by the city following complaints from my across the street neighbour; I can risk being blocked in my own driveway with no way out to go to the hospital or pick up the kids or buy groceries because the city has inadequate parking restrictions or do not enforce the ones currently in place; or, I can become the crazy lady of Rosedale Avenue and try to get the city's attention that way. Does this type of reedonkulous thing happen elsewhere?

Here are some snaps (I have hundreds) of my winter street and the wretched parking attempts of my complaining neighbours. Next post will be my conversation with City Hall. (tee hee)

CAN YOU SEE THE CURB? I CAN!