Comedy of the Commons

There are many rituals on the sidewalks of Brooklyn, not least among them alternate side of the street parking. It's a subtle, complicated, ballet: two mornings a week, at two different moments, everyone emerges from their buildings to move their car from one side of the street to the other, to let the street sweeper pass by and chat with the neighbors. (Screw up, and you're looking at a $110 ticket.) There's a lot of etiquette involved, as can be expected when you're simultaneously fighting for a parking spot with the same neighbors, twice a week: Park close, but not too close; by no means bump (which is otherwise acceptable); and sound the alarm if the parking cop decides to make an early sweep, ticketing in the last ten minutes before things are legal again. So I was a bit surprised when this truck backed right up into me-- definitely pushing the politesse of how close is too close, but also very considerately making room for as many cars as possible. Then I saw his bumper sticker. "Your life belongs to you, take it back-- vote Libertarian."