Living in North Minneapolis, I am continually faced with having to make the decision as to whether or not it is prudent to pass a vehicle that is illegally parked on a right of way, or to wait until they finish chatting with the individual they're speaking with.
Almost without exception, the driver of the vehicle (usually in a somewhat annoyed manner) motions me to "go around" them. Sometimes I make good choices, sometimes I don't. About a month ago, during a typical incident of this type, I took the driver's advice and attempted to "squeeze through". In doing so, our rear-view mirrors scraped lightly. The damage? A "scuff mark" the size of a dime on the mirror of the illegally parked vehicle. I ended-up having to pay $40.00 for the damage I caused, as the driver of the illegally parked vehicle was "furious" over the damage I had caused. My attitude has since changed. I now get-up as close as I can and incessantly honk my horn until they move their illegally parked vehicle.
Unless Council Member Johnson-Lee was in a designated parking/stopping area, the officer was well within their right AND their duty to request that she move. And while questioning the officers' justification is the right of every citizen, obeying the law is as well. An illegally parked car is illegally parked, regardless of who you are.
As for Rochelle Olson's biased reporting - reporters have imput into stories, but very rarely make the decisions about the overall complexion of the article.
Dennis Plante Jordan
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