A) This isn’t the OP’s fucking fault. At all. He already got a shit sandwich, for no good reason, and now has to spend his own time and money fixing someone else’s fuckup. It’s not fair, it’s not at all right, and you should cut him some fucking slack.
B) DC cops, being assholes, might go out of their way to make the OP’s life more difficult. So, before one makes the mistake of compounding a problem, they should be strategic about how they deal with DC police, taking major CYA precautions all the while. Running up the chain of command throught the “proper channels” like a good little citizen isn’t always the best approach when your antagonist is pack of corrupt motherfuckers with power.
You know, I think you’re being a little too hard on people. This is not complaining about some low-level clerk. This is about complaining about people who have the power to issue citations, tickets, violations, etc, and who have automatic credibility in any court of law. They have your address on file, they are well-networked, they can look up your plates at any time, etc.
The reason that people “take it” is not just because they’re lazy, or stupid, or lack initiative. They have legitimate reason, IMHO, to worry about possible retaliation if they put themselves out there as a citizen complainer.
In my own town, not exactly known for corruption, a loudmouth businessman who griped about parking enforcement was nailed with a retaliatory tow for some unpaid ticket. Now that was merely a nuisance thing (albeit an expensive one, although he later complained and the true story came out). Imagine if the retaliators weren’t just the parking people, but someone who had the power to give you a criminal record, to raise your insurance rates via issuing violations, to stop you for nuisance offenses whenever and wherever they spot your car, and so on.
Also, I used to have a phone number for the mayor’s office to handle complaints. It cleared up two $100 parking tickets that my girlfriend had paid 3 times each to clear – and get her a refund for her overpayment. Dammit, I can’t find the number now, I’ll see if I can find it at home.
Fir na tine: What’s the phone number to your boss? I’d like to complain that one of his employees has a tendency to spoon-feed people shit while lecturing that they shouldn’t eat it.
One thing people from outside of DC don’t always understand is that the city doesn’t have the same kind of control over our government that other communities do. We don’t have full control of our budget, or the means to raise revunue (we can’t, for example put a toll booth up to enter the city, the Fed won’t allow it).
There is a reason our license plates read Taxation Without Representation.
I gave the advise I did because I am an insurance agent. Not all accidents/claims are created equal. He could always choose not to collect from his own insurance. He would then have a not-at-fault accident with no payout.
My advise to be cautious came from my experience. I was in a fairly major multi caraccident. The adjuster called my office with some questions about a dent that did not appear to be related to the accident. My office manager told him that I had hit a deer a few weeks prior to the accident. My car was repaired, but my insurance company dropped me for 2 accidents in a short time.
That sucks! You hit a deer and didn’t file a claim and they dropped you? I represent about 15 different companies and all of them would consider a comp claim (deer hit) a not so biggie.
Of course around here the deer/car collision is fairly common.
Here as well. Which is why I didn’t claim it, the dent was no big deal. Worked to my advantage, though. When my car insurance was cancelled, I got car insurance through the people who have my home owners, saving over 60 percent.
