Thanks for your interest in our data analysis project and I hope you’ll consider pledging to help us close the gap on our last 20% of the campaign.

I have a general feeling that too many people here assume whatever they do is OK and they hate being held accountable for their laziness (not bothering to figure out the rules) or selfishness (believing one is exception to rules). I see a lot of people parking illegally so I am glad there is at least some enforcement. We had a person abandon their care right in front of our living room window for 3 years and even as a laid back person it was aggravating as it was a “private way” and the city said there was nothing they could do. It may have been on a public way but remember a woman almost died in Somerville a few years ago because there were so many illegally parked vehicles the fire crew could not get at the hydrant or even into the street.

One person mentioned the importance of “limiting misuse” and I agree with that but the problem as I see it (which is much more prominent in the Boston area) is the notion that whatever one does is legitimate so ANY fine is treated as some sort of tyranny. In fact, I wish Somerville would fine people a lot MORE for moving violations. While I have live in Somerville for about 9 years total, I am amazed at the “misuse” of roadways by moving vehicles (speeding, not stopping at signs/lights, making up their own rules, ignoring marked pedestrian crossings, etc.). I am only suggesting if Somerville is issuing too many tickets (that has not been my experience but then again I attempt to follow posted rules instead of getting angry about rules after I choose to ignore them) that part of the revenue could be gotten back through other ways and moving violations is a suggestion (because the public safety aspect will be much greater).

I am not totally unsympathetic to some of the commenters who feel they have been wronged but please refrain from some of the more mindless and thoughtless advocacy of “doing whatever you want”.

I love the idea of using data though as I am sure you (and thus we) will discover a whole host of things you were not even looking for.

I didn’t know that if you make a request to patrol the area they have to log it – it would explain patrol shortly after one places a call, but disappears within few days.

I guess the only solution is just to keep making calls to the police dept.

Also note, that if you request increased patrolling in that area, the officer assigned must call in and verify that they patrolled. This way, it is tracked and recorded.

I’m typically against most labor movement practices, but I always check out these posts to be educated or to be proven wrong. I’m not asking that you submit an objective link or statement about what these strikes are about, but asking that at least some general information, even from labor union’s perspective, is provided. I think this would make these posts much more productive.

On the up side, I got the book from the library and it looks really good. They have a million copies.