Posted on 04/27/2002 10:13:38 PM PDT by tgslTakoma
It's now been a week and a day since The Patriots Rally for America, and Gore_ War_ Vet's truck is still MIA somewhere in our nations capital; thanks to some unknown tow truck driver on the city of DC payroll.
Gore_ War_ Vet and I had unloaded all our rally supplies from our vehicles at the rally site on Constitution Avenue at 7:30am last Saturday, April 20th, and we then headed off to find parking. Parking on Constitution Avenue is usually allowed, but the street was marked with "Emergency - No Parking" signs because the radical left's pro-intifada demonstration was going to culminate in a march down that street.
I left the rally site to find a spot for my truck on a side street and found one on 15th street, just north of the Constitution Avenue intersection. There was one other spot still open at that location so I called up Angelwood and told her to let Gore_ War_ Vet know. He parked the truck, we both double-checked to see that there were no restrictions on parking there and that the meters did not need to be fed on a Saturday. All was well, or so we thought.
Apparently someone within the DC Government decided, after we had parked there, that they should have posted those "Emergency - No Parking" signs on 15th Street. So at some point during the day they did just that. And our vehicles were towed.
I found out that my truck was missing after I got back from walking Niger Innis to Trueblackman's car (and then driving him in Tbm's car to Union Station to catch his train back to NYC). I then began my search for my vehicle, not knowing that Gore_ War_ Vet had already been searching (in vain) for his truck as well.
I spoke to a DC cop who said that Park Service did all the towing on that area's streets, so I went up to a Park Police officer... who gave me a phone number to call at Park Police HQ. I called them and they said, "Nope, it wasn't us. It was DC." So then I go back to another DC officer who tells me that they usually just tow cars a few blocks away and leave them; and he gives me yet another phone number to a DC office, which it turns out is closed on weekends. By this time word has gotten back to the FReeper cleanup crew that GWV has also "lost" his truck, so BufordP, Taxman and others begin to cruise nearby streets looking for the missing vehicles. Angelwood loaned me her car and I found a wonderful, helpful, friendly, compassionate lady DC cop (praise the Lord!) who made a few calls and found out just who did what, and she gave me a number to call that had a real person on the other end of the line!
The woman I spoke with got my tag info from me, corrected me when I said the car had been towed ("No ma'am. Your car wasn't towed. It was moved") and told me where I could find my truck (800 block of Constitution Ave, by the Archives); so off we went to find it. Taxman drove me and GWV to get our vehicles. You see, we had figured that since we were parked only two cars away from one another, that they'd be in close proximity to one another at the drop site. Silly us! I found my truck right where the woman said it was, but GWV's was nowhere to be found. Taxman drove him around for another half hour or so, and still no truck.
Gore_ War_ Vet had left his vehicle papers in his vehicle, so he didn't have tag info to give the DC folks to get specific location info; that he had to do after he got to his home...much, much later. He did end up speaking with a few members of MPD who were sympathetic to his plight, and they sheepishly suggested that the only way they could look for the truck would be if he reported it stolen! They knew how absurd that sounded, but they also knew how DC Government "organization" works.
We were tired and hungry, so we reconnoitered at the Hotel Washington for dinner. After dinner, BufordP drove GWV around all over downtown DC looking for the missing truck, with no luck. So Buford drove GWV home (a couple-hour drive, thank you BufordP for being the good guy you are).
The rest of the specifics of the story can be filled in by Gore _ War_ Vet, because it really is a doozy, and he knows it all too well. The short of it is that his truck is still missing. DC has no idea where it is. They gave him two different locations... but no truck there.
So, while no persons were injured or arrested during the Patriots Rally, it does appear that we did have one casualty. And the topper is that DC doesn't seem to be too terribly interested in helping GWV find his vehicle - that they misplaced!
We can "Ask the Chief" at the Metropolitan Police Department's website. They say he'll answer your question within 48 hours. :-)
Wish there were something I could do. My experience is just paying their damn tickets. I'll fire off an email.
I know! We could threaten to take our business (rallies and protests) to Bethesda or Takoma Park or Arlington/Alexandria. Guess not.
First I want to say how pleased and surprised I have been to find out the MDP answers the phone (202-727-1010) on the first ring, and to a man (or woman) each and every one of them has been courteous if not helpful.
I was not shocked when I first discovered my truck missing and an Emergency No Parking sign in it's place, after what I had seen that day, it was going to take more than a missing truck to shock me.
The first officer I talked to at 15th and Constitution sent me to 15th and Pennsylvania, that officer sent me to Pennsylvania and 14th....... you get the picture after they'd had thier way with me one MPD officer finally gave me a phone number to call, Doh! (smacking my forhead)
MPD: "MPD non-emergency services. How may I help you?"
GWV: Yes mam, my truck was parked on 15th Street at Contitution Ave. and it's not there anymore, I think it was towed could you tell me where to find it.
MPD: Yes sir, I can help you with that can you tell me the license number please?
GWV: uh, err, uhhhhhhh.
MPD: No problem, do you know the VIN number?
That's when I realized it was going to be a very long night.
But freinds, in the words of Arlo Guthrie this ain't about alice, or the resturant...
This is about the Patriots Rally for America where the DC Chapter of FreeRepublic.com went to support our troops and stand up to the IAC ANSWER crowd and ran into 50,000 to 80,000 palastinian terrorist supporters. I've seen the streets of DC troubled before, but I've never seen anything like last Sat. (4/20/02).
In DC you are accostomed to seeing flags, but the picture 10,000 Palastinian flags in our nations capitol still ties my stomach in knots. As I told kristinn as we looked across the street into a sea of those flags "This is not a great day in America".
In the Kevin Costner film Field of Dreams the theme was "If you build it, they will come" not so with the Patriots Rally for America, we had a very sucessful rally, great speakers, the IAC ANSWER crowd did not go unanswered. Hundreds of people showed up to stand for our troops and our country.
Great day huh? We prepared for thousands and a few hundred show up and have a great rally. End of story unless you realize that the cost of preparing for thousands is going to be payed for by 2 people that can least afford it.< /rant >
"I regret that I have but one truck to give for my country". ;o)
Now I'm going to hit that link to Chief Ramsey.
BWAAAAHAHAHAHAH Speeww!
Now I have to clean all this mess up and put my boy back to sleep.
Specify: Where's my truck?
*Message: On 4/20/02 y'all "moved" my black 1993 nissan pick-up from being leagally parked in the 200 block of 15th street at Constitution Ave and I haven't seen it since.
Help! Please.
End of message. Heh! heh! heh!
I was so busy ranting about our unpaid bills that I forgot to pay homage to Taxman & BufordP for thier aid and comfort in trying to locate my truck.
Special Kudos to Mrs. BufordP! I hope she didn't throw him out?
The DC Chapter's efforts for the rally were outstanding and the people who did show up will carry the day in their hearts and minds forever. Consider your actions to be the epicenter of change. Great ripples will continue long out of your range of vision.
If found please return to Kent Island. ;o)
Great line. FReep On!
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