I’m probably going to get a ton of backlash for this. But since I haven’t been so great about posting on the blog, I thought I’d give my readers a treat.

You may have heard that starting August 20th, parking rates for the parking lots will increase. If not, our subjectively-tight-lipped friends at Eye on Annapolis wrote about the details here.

There are about 10-12 free, unmonitored parking spots in downtown Annapolis. Remember when I posted about the folks in Kingsport protesting the community garden because they didn’t want the poorfolk within a mile radius of their home? You may have guessed I had all this knowledge because I myself garden through Grow Annapolis. Down at the community garden outside the old rec center. And you were right.

Anyhow, for the last two months as I tend to my little plot, I’ve been watching the servers and bouncers at a waterfront restaurant park and skip across the street to work. I’ve watched mother after mother (and sometimes a dad) park their car in these spots and walk across the street to the playground they fought to keep. (I hope you see the irony behind that.) And I’ve watched the City of Annapolis parking enforcement officers drive right down Newman Street and not stop and ticket them once.

In good Chatter fashion, I chased one down to ask the question. Their response, “I’m not allowed to ticket this area.” In my mind, I’m thinking no freakin’ way. And as any good journalist would do, I made a follow up call the next day to the Transportation Office for the City of Annapolis. And I spoke with the lady (the Parking Manager) there. Her response, “We won’t ticket that area until the City tells us to.” Ummmm. Okay.

So there you have it. Happy Friday! Free parking in downtown Annapolis… and there are usually always parking spots available. Just about every time I drive by, there’s available parking.

If you aren’t so lucky… take the Circulator. I took it for the first time a week or so ago. What took me so long? I had to be inspired. What did it? A few days before, I received an email from Ima Nottelling with a pic attached….