Walking up Locust Street yesterday after a breakfast at Hinkle’s, we chatted with a citizen who pointed to the SUV across the street. “That’s been there since yesterday,” said the citizen. I noted that it was occupying two parking spaces and would be ticketed when the meter enforcement person comes by. The citizen said it didn’t matter because it was a borough employee’s vehicle. Seems borough employees can stick that borough tag on their mirror and park at any parking meter any time they want without ponying up any coins. Heck, it seems they can park anywhere with abandon … one parking space or two … makes no difference.

There is a borough-owned parking lot at the bottom of Locust Street; borough employees, including police officers, do not want to use that one because they “are afraid to walk from that lot to the borough offices” or that someone “might damage their vehicles.” Fear ought not be an issue; Columbia’s got cameras.