9 February 1982 Los Angeles Times Privileged Parkers Among several irritating things about the downtown area that I noticed on a recent tour of jury duty was the flagrant and habitual disregard by the drivers of police vehicles (marked and unmarked) for parking restrictions such as red zones and parking meters, even fire hydrants, around court buildings and other downtown areas. If all other workers and participants in court activities must arrange parking according to regulations, no matter how inconvenient, why are police vehicles (in non-emergency situations) allowed to break the law? Do police have special status in out community that assures them they need not be bothered with the trivial laws the rest of us must follow? If so, how far does this attitude of superiority to other citizens extend in the minds of some (or all?) persons in law enforcement? Red zones, parking meters and fire hydrants are there for good reasons. If the city wishes to make special provisions for police parking let it be marked as such. Otherwise, let's all be inconvenienced to the same degree as we do our equally respectable jobs. | ![]() |