Government Efficiency!

I know what you are thinking when you read "Government Efficiency" in the title line of this post - Oxymoron! It is right up there with Jumbo Shrimp, Senate Ethics, Plastic Glasses and so on. While that is certainly true it is not where I am going with this one. I have an actual example of government efficiency I wish to share.

A couple weeks ago I noticed that VDOT (Virginia Department of Transportation) had come along and painted some marks here and there in my neighborhood. I knew what they were for as soon as I saw them. They marked the spots where VDOT would install new road signs. There didn't seem to be any pattern or logic to their placement so I was mystified as to what they needed to suddenly regulate. I could only wait until they magically appeared.

The wait is over - shiny, new No Parking signs sprung up magically overnight on Friday. And today shiny, new parking tickets adorn the cars who are now in violation of this sudden new regulation. Signs go up on Friday and tickets are issued on Saturday - talk about efficiency. Still, seems like that is a pretty shitty thing to do to people with no advanced warning. There were no public notices of this impending change, no warning letters or stickers were left on cars who were destined to be in violation.

I feel bad for the family who might have taken off for vacation on Thursday. How many parking tickets will greet them when they get back into town? Only time will tell, but they certainly aren't much of a welcome home present.