FIX YOUR ST PETERSBURG FL PARKING TICKET - JUST PAY OFF THE RIGHT GUY!

Here’s the scam. Let’s say there is a Free event in downtown St Petersburg Florida.  In this case it was National Museum Day and we went to the Salvador Dali Museum. A wonderful place to expand your mind. If you go be sure to park in thier parking lot.


Hey, let’s go!


‘Course there’s no place to park, but eventually you can find a spot, usually blocks away from the event on a hot Saturday.


It’s the weekend!


No need to pay the meters right?


Never has been in my memory.


Maybe my memory isn’t what is used to be or maybe we don’t go to St Peterburg enough to know when the parking rules changed. Nevertheless we received a parking ticket.


$25 bucks! So much for the “Free” event!


The card, shown below, that accompanied the ticket was almost apologetic. Kind of an “Aw shucks y’all don screwed up a bit- but we’ll take care a y'all”

But Wait - It Gets Better!

We’d planned to spend some time downtown, grab a bite, shop. Seems we always buy something on excursions like this. That ticket changed my mind –  I was PO’d – OK - More than a little, so we left.


Upon returning home and reading my ticket I was surprised to learn we could have our ticket fixed if we’d spent the same amount with a downtown merchant on the same day.

Oh, but that’s not all. You have to present yourself, with a receipt for the bribe, in person in, where else, downtown St Petersburg! – That’s the one in Florida.

OK so now to have my ticket fixed I have to take a day off work, risk another parking ticket in an unfriendly city (Who knows what the rules will be.) and then deal with some bureaucrat. We’re going to pay the fine.

 It didn’t ruin our day. Far from it. We went to a friendlier town, Largo, and had a great dinner and movie out. We spent more than the St Petersburg ticket but we had a good time and didn’t have to worry about the parking nazis.


Be warned the City of St Petersburg is running this scam. Might as well deal with the professionals I suppose. This is Florida after all “Land of the Fee and Home of the Bribe”.


Business is hard enough without your city chasing away your customers; However, unless you want to drive, it will be a cold day in a hot place before you see us in downtown St Petersburg Fl. 

The HideAways Sail After Mr. E is Cured!

HideAway finally underway photo Michelle Maloy

Mr. E is cured!!  The HideAways are sailing again!  Film at 11

How Something Cheap Is Really Expensive

Well fellow sailors you've been following the trials and tribulations of the HideAways and their Evinrude or is it Ever Rude? 


Nonetheless after hours of effort spent attempting to reinstall the shift rod that was not meant to be removed by the uninitiated in the first place, HideAways discovered the only way to accomplish the task is to exorcise fully half of the gears in the now infamous gear case.

Reverse Gear and Propeller Shaft Removed

 Taking things apart is not nearly as difficult as putting them back together but the lord of things that go wrong gave his blessing to our particular Evinrude, an 8hp, a baby outboard motor by most standards anyway.


No issues to report. We knew from the plans the danger of loosing the ball bearings and were prepared and we were blessed by the opportunity to dispose of the black phlegm that may have been oil residing in the gear case.


In fact all was going so well the HideAways would easily be ready for Raft Up.  Tee Heee said the lord of things that can go wrong.


Water pumps are easy to install after all - - -  If you don't lose the key way ---


A film of this momentous moment is rumored to be in development and you too shall witness the event -- How lucky can you be!

WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE THE DIFFERENCE IN COST WOULD BE TO USE METAL VS PLASTIC?