Hypocrisy

Do we grin and bear it and put up with it? Do we make the best of a bad job? Or do we take a stand and live a life that demonstrates how we would like it to be? Interesting how ‘demon’ got into that word. Was 'demonstrating' against something at one time a bad thing?
Yes of course it was.

Yesterday after popping into the chemist, I nipped over the road into the Co-op to buy two necessary items: milk and chocolate. I had an inner debate as to whether to wait in the queue which was seasonably long or just collect the items when I returned to the village where I live and walk to the local shop. When an extra till- person arrived I decided to just wait and stop being impatient: all things come to those who wait - including parking tickets. I had apparently parked my motorbike in such a way as to cause ‘unnecessary blockage to the pavement’.

Well, this is not true. The part of the pavement where I had parked is not used by pedestrians as the pavement is so wide at this point. I was between a rain-takeaway channel and the side of the building – so close that I had to dismount on the right side of the machine. As far as I am aware, there are no parking places for motorcycles in this village. Car parks for motorcycles are a nightmare if there are no dedicated places – especially with all the reversing of elderly drivers. And as an elderly motorcyclist I am regularly threatened with my life if I dare to park in an off street car space.

Anyway, I could easily pay the £30 fine or I could not quite as easily appeal the fine to explain why I was not blocking the pavement, where if the judge takes the side of the policeman which is 99.9% of always, I will pay extra costs.

I am most probably just going to pay the fine. Then I will beat myself up for not doing my part to assert my belief in truth and rightfulness when given an opportunity to do so. Yet I have learned in the past that when it’s a question of an individual’s assertion against the strong arm of the law, I always lose.

Ironic really, it was my first outing in weeks in an effort not to stay in so much. I could have visited a local chemist. When I first saw the policeman I thought he, as many do, was admiring my bike.

unnecessary blockage?

the pavement is blocked?

scene of the crime

with an admirer on another occasion