“Please, Mr. Postman” (57)

(57^th in a series of posts on parking)

So many days you passed me by
See the tears standin’ in my eyes
You didn’t stop to make me feel better
By leavin’ me a card or a letter
Mister Postman
(Mister Postman look and see)
Oh yeah
(If there’s a letter in your bag for me)

The Marvelettes, 1961

Attentive Gadfly readers will recognize that “No one gets to interrogate The Board”
was directed at Gadfly during Courtesy of the Floor at the September meeting of the Bethlehem Parking Authority Board by the Solicitor, whom I have whimsically dubbed the Board body guard.

Apparently that means you can’t get an email response from the BPA either:

• I have not gotten a response from the Solicitor about the potentially serious matter of a possible Right to Know violation.
• I have not gotten a response to three emails to the Executive Director about that same potentially serious matter of a possible Right to Know violation as well as other things.
• I have not gotten a response to three emails to the 5-member Board about being able to communicate with them individually rather than the group boardofdirectors address.
• I have not gotten a response asking for the email of Tim Tracy the Desman rep so that I can ask him a pertinent question about his study.
• I have not gotten response to two emails to the Board Chairman about getting together on phone or in person to clarify one misty point in the calculations of the revenue raised by increases in the fines.
• I will not receive a response for perhaps 30 days, instead of 5, to 10 Right to Know requests because of staff limitations (first reason) and need for legal review (second, additional reason given after a request for clarification). These are 10 separate requests not one request with 10 parts. At least two requests seem simple to fill individually within the 5-day period.

Not negative responses to questions or requests. No responses.

All Gadfly emails, he believes, have been pleasant, cordial.

Why has Gadfly had no success?

• maybe everybody is busy, and they are setting necessary priorities
• maybe they teach you in law school to ignore a possible petition
• maybe there’s a legitimate reason not to talk with someone who may have caught you at something
• maybe there’s a legitimate reason not to give out personal Board member emails
• maybe there’s a legitimate reason not to give a consultant’s email info
• maybe the Board members aren’t getting the emails through that group address
• maybe I’m a Nobody
• space reserved for your possibility

At least some of Gadfly’s emails could have been answered as cordially as they were written.

Silence.

But let’s end here with the bigger question.

Who in hell cares if the Bethlehem Parking Authority has a bad attitude toward the public if it is doing a good job of maintaining parking in the City?

If BPA is doing its job, what does it matter if they are nice guys or not?

They don’t have to be liked.

Nobody likes the Patriots.

Maybe we shouldn’t care about attitude. Maybe it matters naught. Zero.

Gadfly will leave you to think about that.

But one thing I gotta say. It does not pay to mess with the BPA. When I went to pay for my car in the North Street garage after the Oct 24 meeting, the ticket machine ate my credit card. Yes it did. Yessir. It was the 5 o’clockish quitting time. There was a line 12 deep behind me at the machine. I thought there was going to be a riot.

I swear, I couldn’t make this up.

Please, please, Mr. Postman
(Why’s it takin’ such a long time)
Why don’t you check it and see one more time for me
You gotta wait a minute, wait a minute
Wait a minute, wait a minute Mr. Postman
Ooh Mr. Postman
(Mr. Postman look and see)