Booted from the River Street Garage

Booted from the River Street Garage
(see Santa Cruz' ridiculous 15-Minute Parking Lot Panic Law)

No doubt, being civic-minded and committed to fighting oppressive laws, you already know about the 15-Minute Parking Lot Panic law. (If not, see indybay.org here, and the text of this ridiculous law here.) We (and a saxophone player on the 2nd floor) were kicked out of the River Street garage (one of our favorite empty practice locations) and threated with trespassing tickets by a zealous and nervous young officer.

Naturally, the law was created not to oppress privileged middle-class folk like ourselves, but to push the poor and the homeless further to the fringes (hopefully right off the edge where they might helpfully just disappear). But the city feels occasionally obligated to enforce their silly laws more or less uniformly lest they be accused of selective enforcement and have the law struck down.

You can ask yourself, what the fuck is wrong with this town? But we all bear responsibility every time we sit quietly by when someone make the choice of security over freedom (usually for our alleged benefit).