Appealing a Parking Ticket, The MBA Way

TO: The Traffic and Parking Department, City of Somerville, MA
DATE: January 4, 2015
RE: Ticket SV349821321


To the Most Benevolent and Gracious Whom (It May Concern):

This is an issue of time, value, and money. And Operations (queuing theory) and customer service (the basics).

On December 31st, my fiancé and I drove to Somerville to have breakfast with my brother and his girlfriend at Neighborhood Restaurant. We arrived at 11:30AM and parked on Bow Street. We were unsure if we even needed to pay (it was New Year’s Eve after all), but we dutifully put quarters into the meter.

We were running late because we often are, so when we arrived at the restaurant to see a small crowd of people were waiting out front, we were quite distraught. Fortunately, my brother had not been late (though he, too, often is) and our name was next on the list to be seated!

We stood in eager anticipation for the next few minutes, peaking in the window. As groups started to finish their meals and get up from their tables, we joked about the cold, knowing we would soon be seated.

After another few minutes, with several empty tables sitting idle, I mentioned that in Operations class, I was taught that the worst thing you can do when managing a line is to have excess and unused capacity in sight of waiting customers. No I began to get seriously annoyed.

Another few minutes, and we began blowing on our hands and jumping up and down to stay warm. Now I could count no less than 12 open seats in the restaurant. Suspecting I was in a reality TV show ('Boiling Point' or some such thing), I went inside and sat down at one of the tables.

One of the waitresses came up to me, “I’m sorry, you have to wait outside, it’s not fair to everyone else waiting.” But it’s very cold outside, I told her. And we’re next. And why can’t we just wait here, at our table? “We don’t have any clean mugs. The owner would be mad if I sat people without clean mugs.” I don’t mind, I insisted, I’d be much happier warm and mugless than cold and seatless. She frowned and said she’d go ask. My fiancé, brother, and his girlfriend looked at me through the window with some combination of envy and embarrassment. I waved at them.

A moment later, the waitress returned. The owner had said it was fine for us to sit without mugs after all. They began seating tables. All the tables. We were given paper cups for our coffee. Though I hate the idea of wasting paper, I think on the whole it was a good outcome.

The other patrons who had been let inside regarded me as nothing less than a hero. Or at least I’m sure they did. They didn’t want to embarrass me by coming over to thank me for my actions. I appreciate that.

We had a very nice meal and despite my brother’s suspicion that I would be given an extra topping, I didn’t taste any extra saliva on my Eggs Benedict.

However, the initial 30 minute delay changed the timing of our breakfast (which had now become a lunch!) and caused us to be late returning to our vehicle (actually my soon-to-be mother-in-law’s vehicle). We were distressed to find a parking ticket on the windshield, placed there no more than 8 minutes before our return (1:08PM vs. 1:00PM).

I am a graduate student at UC Berkeley and dearly in need of some holiday reprieve! I beseech you! Can we let this one slide? What about a student discount?

Sincerely,
Michael Rossiter