Butthead Fells neighbors

[heckler]

First off, Happy TurkeyDay!!!

Just got back from a ride in the Fells with my son- bike-before-the-bird thing. Just wanted to vent a bit.

I am a Medford resident with a Medford parking permit on my car. I pulled up in front of 290 Gov. Ave and began to unload the bikes. The owner comes out and tells us it is Permit parking!!! I pointed to my permit. "It is for residents of this street only!" I didn't debate that. He then tells me he has 14 guests arriving real soon and they need to park. Feeling magnanimous, I offered to park one block down and did.

For the rest of the ride I fumed. I know this guy has had lots of problems with bikers parking in front of his house but come-on! The signs don't say for street residents only. Are they? Had the guy simply said he wanted to give his guests parking in front of his house and could I please... I wouldn't have hesitated. Now, I feel like egging his house! And I would bet all I have that each of those car will NOT have a visitor parking permit in their windshields. You only get two per house..

Finished the ride to find only two cars in front of his house and the rest of the block deserted. I guess having his guests walk that extra 50 ft to his house was too much for him...

Thanks, I feel a bit better now.

[hogboy]

well, look at it this way. you have a bike. you can park
5 freakin miles away from the fells and ride to the fells, and 5 miles is barely a warmup. 2 miles. 1 mile. what is your beef ?

park a few miles away, or a few hundred yards, and give the home owners a break.

home owner may not have a bike. his mom might be coming
over and she is 90 and cannot walk good.

again...it is /you with the bike, and from what I know about bikes, a few miles is nothing but a good warmup so you can enjoy the fells as soon as you get there.

all that, AND the homeowner is still a dickhead
am I right or what ?

[benb]

Don't know how old your son is but just riding from your house to the trails also solves the problem.. Can't imagine anywhere in Medford is particularly far from the Fells...

Also saves you the worry of someone messing with your car while you're riding.

[skyline69]

I know exactly who you're talking about. It started 3 years ago when 30 cars would line Governors ave in front of her house. Some bitch started bitching to the town and she even went so far as to video tape license plates. So now they have permit only signs but if you are a resident of Medford you can park there. She doesn't own the freakin street. Let's be reasonable though, if you live in Medford (like me) you should ride and not drive (like me).

[heckler]

As I said, I just moved the car. I just find it frustrating that people's initial reaction has to always be aggresive and negative when a simple reasoned request would have done the job without making me want to rant.

Yeah, the kid is 12, we could have ridden. It is only a few miles up. Would have truely sucked on this occasion though as I forgot my pump and flated... Had to walk about 1.5 miles back to the car to get one. Without the car at all? I guess I could have knocked on butt-heads door and borrowed a phone to call the wife! ;D

[truckboy]

IMHO people act aggressive out of fear. I'm not saying it's your fault. Just that I bet homeowner was fearful. Don't take it personally. You did the right thing. Thank you for helping to improve relations between mtn bikers and Fells abutters. I hope it didn't ruin your ride. Too bad about the flat.