MPLS Parking

I was covering last night’s protests on the interstate when I felt my phone vibrate. I was warned that my parking time was almost up. As hundreds of unhappy cops surrounded protesters and media in full riot gear, I found myself in a position where I might have to pay the $25 for a parking ticket. “Everyone on the highway is now under arrest,” came from the police LRAD they were using as a giant speaker to communicate orders. With nowhere to go a DJ played jams from his Ford Transit packed with a mobile DJ setup that was used as a speaker system by protesters and the highway turned into the most expensive dance party I’ve ever been to, thanks to the 400 cops that were out at taxpayer expense. Just like that a 5 hour rave was started. “Let us go, let us go,” chants were reverberating off my chest as the group of about 700 people chanted. I opened the app and put another 2.25 to continue to legally park. In a matter of seconds I became the most law abiding person on the highway. I continued to document the night without worry because I was in compliance once again with city parking laws and as a documentarian I was legally within my constitutional right of Freedom of the Press. I probably would not have gotten ticketed because the city sent everyone to help arrest peaceful protesters. I’m pretty sure the meter attendants were sent as well. This app makes parking a lot easier and so many times I can’t run to the meter and leave an event I’m covering. This has kept me from getting tickets many times!