The very first page....

Well, I'm new at this, and tend to stream-of-consciousness writing, so you should consider yourself forewarned. As an information technology professional, I understand several languages, can curse fluently in several more, and have a regrettable tendency to say what I think, or what I thought I was thinking, since the blog is always after the fact of the thought.

This morning, I'm more than a little bit ticked off. Last Friday, when I arrived at work, my parking place was occupied by a large refrigerator which BMW 4-door sedan, at least a 6-series, probably a 7- or 8-series. Now, I work for a large police department, and wondered immediately who could afford such a vehicle (although I must confess to having been a bit envious...) that would work here - but there was no parking permission tag in the vehicle, so I did what is normally done around here - I parked my vehicle in front of his, blocking his exit capability. This is what Building Security always tells us to do when someone has occupied a reserved place.

Friday, I was on my motorcycle, so I parked it across the front bumper of this vehicle, very close, and went to work, secure in the knowledge that someone would call when the driver of the BMW needed to leave and have me move it.

When I went out around 8 PM, I was surprised to find my motorcycle blocking the vehicle next to my spot. I had left it with the steering locked deliberately so it could not be moved without either the key, or enough people to pick up 800 pounds of dead weight to move it. I soon learned that what had happened to arrange the move was far less thoughtful, malicious and dangerous.

Whoever was parked in my place had decided to avoid the embarrassment of finding out who owned the motorcycle and whose space was being occupied, and instead forced the locked steering far enough that the motorcycle could be moved. In the process, the locking mechanism was damaged to the point that the steering could not be unlocked, rendering it impossible to use the motorcycle to get home - so I had to find another way home and inconvenience several people in the process, also missing dinner with family and a meeting. As if that wasn't good enough, I had to have the motorcycle picked up and transported to a repair shop on Saturday Morning - rendering it impossible to do what I had had planned for Saturday morning, and costing me $174.00 that I had not planned to spend.

Sometime today I'll learn how much internal damage was done to the steering mechanism of the motorcycle, and how much it will cost to have that repaired to make it safe to operate again.

Meanwhile, Sunday was one of the best days this month for motorcycling - and I was stuck at home!

What is it about the ownership of such an enviable vehicle that confers upon its owner the right to disregard rules of civilized behavior, the right to damage property of others and cause danger to others? I am normally not inclined to stereotype, but have noticed that the owners of big BMW and Mercedes automobiles tend to think they are better than others, that traffic rules and rules of civilized behavior are for other people?

Yes, I am pissed off.

Yes I did file a police report about malicious destruction of property. However, I am a civilian employee of this agency, and I suspect that the BMW owner is a sworn officer. Right away I am at a disadvantage, since cops know that they are superior to normal people.

As a motorcyclist for more than 50 years, it really bugs me that someone could be so cavalier as to do something like this, and so ignorant as to believe that no harm was done.

Grrr!