This is my first post in English. Two Sundays ago at noon, after a HelMUG meeting at the Ethnikon cafe, I was awarded with a parking fine just a street next to Palea Vouli, in an empty Athens centre by the municipal police. The location for fining was hilarious: the point was marked with an X-sign prohibiting both stopping and parking, unless (Jeez!) you are a local resident, which appeals (!) all the previous prohibitions. Then, I wonder: why both prohibition for stopping AND parking, and not just only parking (the /-sign)? Then, preparing just to leave, I saw the Kaklamanis' mercenaries approaching, spotting that another customer (unfined yet) had already parked in an empty place. They were certainly hanging around doing nothing (call it "hiding!") and waiting for the next victim to get straight to the trap. These guys are most possibly with a 6-month contract with an option of getting the Greeks' ultimate dream, "monimopiisi"(="getting permanent", i.e. unlimited contract for working in the public sector till death takes you apart from you work). This status of uncertainity makes them great exaggerating zealots on their duties, and the last days are reported attacking on poor immigrants from Africa and Asia selling their odds and ends on the city 's pavements, and when asked from other raged "Greek" citizens to give their identity and their commander, fearing the consequences of their illicit deeds, they are not responding. As people say: "δώσε θάρρος στον χωριάτη να σ' ανέβει στο κρεββάτι"
So, I had ended up my Sunday noon with having to pay a rediculus fine of 65 euros. The instructions on the back of the ticket indicated that it could be payed at the municipality 's fund between the very comfortable hours of 08:00 and 13:00, which meaned that I needed to waste a whole morning from my work for just paying a fine. So, I went on Tuesday at Athens Municipal Fund to pay it.
The building was looking some kind of modern industrial architecture of the late 70s. The dirt was prominent everywhere, the exremely worn-off counters, desks and chairs was the rule and the typical greek indifference of the public servants. Hopefully, there was not (yet) present the other typical greek public servant behaviour, boorishness. I went to register my ticket, I was glad that the clerk was calm, at least she didn 't tell me off. That was a success. Then I went to the cash-clerk 's booth. The guy was amazing. On long, dirty hair, he was counting the money the citizens were giving him and simultaneously reading a sports newspaper! Finally, I took a photo of a desk with a bench that is used for sitting and filling the applications the services ask for. On the desk was a broken Bic pen attached on a cord, keeping it not to be stolen or lost.
I have never seen such an ambience anywhere else, even in my homecity 's municipal or state services, even though is a small and provincial one. Even at my village 's municipal services at Arachovitika, Achaia, it is a nice, clean and tidy town hall. How can anybody believe that a city has hosted Olympic Games and has its services to the citizens kept like that?
