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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Bookmobile Visit Marred by Harrassment from City Police and Downtown Business |
Current rating: 0 |
by Paul Riismandel
Email: paul (nospam) mediageek.org (unverified!) |
01 Jul 2002
Modified: 12 Jul 2002 |
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How does Urbana work to revitalize downtown? By fining and harassing a visiting exhibition of books, that's how! What follows is my first-person account of what happened. As the co-organizer of the Bookmobile visit and the accompanying events I want to express openly how absolutely embarassed I am for Urbana's treatment of our guests. |
This past weekend the Bookmobile Project (http://www.mobilivre.org/index.html ) visited the Urbana-Champaign IMC, bringing a vintage airstream trailed filled with hundreds of zines, artists’ books and independent publications. Unfortunately the visit was marred by the absurd and capricious harassment the Bookmobile volunteers received from a local business and the Urbana police, which resulted in a $75 ticket being issued to an out-of-town Bookmobile volunteer for “obstructing the sidewalk.”
What follows is a first-person account of what happened. I make no effort to be "objective," but I am trying to tell the truth as I perceive it. As the co-organizer of the Bookmobile visit and the accompanying events I want to express openly how absolutely embarrassed I am for Urbana, and how badly I feel for the treatment the Bookmobile volunteers received from our neighboring downtown business and our City's police force.
The visit of the Bookmobile to Urbana was intended to be the highlight of an otherwise sleepy, hot and humid June weekend. Hundreds of people passed through the Bookmobile and the IMC Friday evening and Saturday, and folks visited from as far away as Chicago and Springfield just to participate. Indeed, the Bookmobile organizers decided to stop in Urbana INSTEAD of Chicago, due to the level of enthusiasm local organizers expressed and how much activity they heard about going on at the IMC. Local excitement was further enhanced by a nice full-page article about the Bookmobile visit published in the C-U Cityview this past week.
The Bookmobile was not a protest. It was not an act of civil disobedience nor a planned disruption (though, personally, I have no problem with such things). Purely and simply, it was a exhibition of literature and art collected from authors and artists from all over North America, on tour across the Continent to 38 cities in the US and Canada. But I don't think any police officers or complaining businessmen even took a look inside to see for themselves.
Although the Bookmobile was forced to close its doors several hours early Friday night, the weekend's events – a book tour, film showing, concert, and bookmaking workshops – were able to continue successfully, even if the Bookmobile's traveling volunteers had to endure being hysterically screamed at by the Office's manager on Saturday morning – a further insult on top of receiving the ticket on Friday night.
Around 7:00PM Friday night, two Urbana police officers, Ofc. Rebecca Wood and Sgt. Sylvia Griffit, showed up to the Bookmobile responding to a complaint they said was registered by a local business, which they eventually revealed came from the Office Bar on Main St. The complaint said that there were crowds of people in front of the Bookmobile, and that they were blocking traffic on the sidewalk.
The Bookmobile was parked legally at three spaces, reserved and paid for by me, on the North side of Main St. in downtown Urbana. The two spaces where the trailer and the truck towing it were parked were in front of the Office Bar and Sandwich Boy. These spaces were chosen because they are close to the IMC, and because there is only one space in front of the IMC, and that is not big enough for the trailer. The lone space in front of the IMC is separated from the spaces with the Bookmobile by a bend in the road. The curb space on the opposite side has a fire hydrant which we did not want to block.
The Bookmobile volunteers had some t-shirts for sale in addition to a rack of literature for browsing and two chairs for the volunteers to sit in. The police told them that they needed a permit to sell things on the sidewalk and ordered them to take the merchandise off the sidewalk. The volunteers complied, deciding to take the things for sale inside the IMC, which has a retail license, and where accompanying events were taking place.
Twenty minutes later Ofc. Wood returned and claimed that the sidewalk had not been properly cleared, even though the volunteers had complied with what they understood were the officer's orders. After several IMC volunteers, including myself, tried to negotiate with the officer she wrote a ticket to the Bookmobile volunteer whom she first spoke to and ordered that the Bookmobile pack up and leave.
In my discussion with the officer I tried to show that we had complied with what we understood the order to be by taking the merchandise inside the IMC, but the officer instead claimed that the order was to take everything – including some folding chairs – off the sidewalk and to close down the Bookmobile. She told me that this was necessary because she was responding to a complaint from a local business, telling me “We do what local business asks us to do.” Stunned, I asked her to repeat this to me to make sure I understood her correctly, and she did. I pointed out that the IMC is also a local business, but she refused to acknowledge this fact, instead choosing to order me to listen to her and redirect the conversation.
After some 30 minutes of negotiation, wherein a crowd started to gather to see why the Bookmobile was being harassed, the Officer took the Bookmobile volunteer aside – about 30 feet away – and issued her the $75 ticket for obstructing the sidewalk.
After the first police visit I went inside the Office and talked to the general manager who insisted that the Bookmobile wasn't causing him any trouble and that he hadn't called the police. During the second police visit I went inside to talk to the manager again. The second time he told me that he wasn't going to “get in the middle of what's going on outside,” and that it wasn't his business. I pressed him again on if he'd called the police, and again he denied it, though conceding that some of his customers had complained and may have called the police. I asked him to come talk to me if he did have a problem and he assured me again that he didn't. (It's tough to know if that's the truth – though I wouldn't have trouble believing that he all but dialed the phone for his complaining customers.)
Concerned that the Bookmobile's visit was ruined I sought the advice of an Urbana city council member attending the events inside the IMC. She suggested that we, along with the Bookmobile volunteer who received the ticket, go to the police station to talk with the ranking officer on duty. She would help mediate so that we would be taken seriously and have an opportunity to clear things up.
We did this, and, in short, we were unsuccessful in getting the ticket thrown out. I tried to have the ticket written to me instead, since as the host I was principally responsible for the visit (and can also easily contest the ticket in court), but the Sergeant on duty – the same Sergeant who first visited the Bookmobile – refused, saying that we would have to deal with the City's legal office to do this.
After much negotiating with both officers we were able to get the Sergeant to concede that the Bookmobile had a right to park where it was, and that it could be open. The officers had tried to use ordinances requiring a permit to display merchandise for sale in a vehicle on the sidewalk to prohibit the Bookmobile from being open at all. But after more discussion the Sergeant was willing to see that the Bookmobile was not selling things and was like a library, not a store. She also agreed to inform the next Sergeant on duty about this. We left the police station tired, but at least a little happy that the Bookmobile wouldn't be shut down for the whole weekend.
I had hoped Saturday would be easier, though I was also ready for more trouble. Unfortunately, we got some more. Coming back from a 5 minute coffee run around 10:00 AM the Bookmobile volunteers told me they had just been screamed at by the manager of the Office – though a different manager than I spoke to Friday night – who told them they had no right to be there and to leave. I immediately went into the bar – which wasn't yet open for business-- and talked to the day manger. He first complained to me that we were taking up the two prime spots on Main St., but later admitted that those spots tend to be parked up most of the time anyway. I explained what we were doing, and noted that by bringing so many people to downtown Urbana we were probably increasing business rather than hurting it. He admitted to having seen me inside the Office dining and drinking. I explained that the Bookmobile was sponsored by the IMC and that we had parking permits for it, and did not intend to screw up his business.
Eventually, he came around and admitted that we really weren't causing a problem. I can only guess that when he saw the trailer he jumped to the conclusion that it must be the work of a roving band of art-mongering miscreants hell bent on destroying his angelic business on an otherwise thriving Saturday afternoon. If only he'd asked first, he might have saved himself some grief.
Things went more smoothly the rest of the afternoon, though the police did visit once more – apparently responding to a call from the day manager at the Office asking if the Bookmobile had a “legitimate right” to be there. The officer was satisfied at seeing the parking permit prominently displayed. Though it makes me wonder if anyone would have even raised the question had the Bookmobile been disguised as the Captain Morgan party van and staffed by Hooters Girls.
For the nine or so years I've lived in Champaign-Urbana I've heard endless talk about revitalization in downtown Urbana. But after this weekend I truly question its sincerity. Arguably a traveling exhibition of books and art would be welcomed warmly in Chicago, Madison, Minneapolis or even Des Moines. In fact, some cities might even bid madly for such an infusion of excitement and culture. But it seems like Urbana just doesn't want the bother. Why, having such a display means you'll have people gathering on your streets, making it look like something's going on! No, we don't want people on our streets unless they're entering or exiting a bar.
You might argue we should have gotten some more permits. Sure, I'll say, what permits? We needed parking spaces, we got parking permits. We didn't really plan on selling stuff, so we didn't need that permit. We weren't closing the street, so we didn't need that permit. When it was pointed out that things that were for sale shouldn't be on the sidewalk, they were moved inside without delay.
Maybe I'm naďve, but I never thought you needed a permit to be on the City's sidewalks, as long was you weren't impeding traffic. In fact, looking through the city's ordinances (http://www.city.urbana.il.us/urbana/city_code/main.html) I can't find one that says so. And, frankly, I have a hard time believing that even one person was impeded from entering the Office {the manager admitted the talked to the “customers” who complained, so they must have gotten in somehow). No, mostly I think there are people in the City who are suspicious of any activity that doesn't look like the usual downtown nothingness, or doesn't involve the sponsorship of the City or a bar. And that's sad.
So, nobody died and the bookmobile finished Saturday with a bookmaking workshop and hundreds of people passing through – and those are successes. But I'll be surprised if the Bookmobile will return after the hostile welcome they enjoyed from a local business and the Urbana Police. I mean, how many times do you return to a place where people yell at your hysterically without even first asking what's up, and where you get a $75 fine even after following instructions? How discouraged would you be by such small-minded and capricious punishment for daring to bring some books and art to a po-dunk little Central Illinois city?
If this bothers you at all, and if you give just one shit about the “vitality” of downtown Urbana, then I encourage you to help do something about it. I'll be working to get the capricious ticket dismissed, but that's just curing a symptom. I'll also be going to Urbana City Council Monday night, July 1, to take advantage of the public comment section. If you have something to say, I encourage you to do so, too.
But, again, this issue isn't just about how Urbana treated one bunch of visiting artists on one weekend. It's about the larger hostility and apathy about bringing true vitality to the city's core. To change that will take both working with the City government – call your City Council member now (http://www.city.urbana.il.us/urbana/city_council/Main.asp) -- and working to change it directly. The IMC is doing this by existing in downtown, and sponsoring events and brining excitement downtown. You can participate or start your own excitement. There will be no vitality if we don't bring it.
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Comments
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Damn Straight |
by PO'd
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
01 Jul 2002
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I'd bet a day's wages that it was the conservatives in the Office's clientele who were responsible for the complaints, if not the bar management itself. And I wasn't even there.
Just for fun, I'll be dropping by later this week to *quickly and quietly* inform them that since they're having such trouble keeping parking spaces open, I won't be darkening their door again in either location (and I intend on spreading the gospel) for the next 6 months, and I suggest everyone within "the sound of my comment" do likewise within the next 10 days. If businesses have any motive to be good neighbors, it's in their pocketbooks, and 6 months' worth is a lot of parking spaces. =) |
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I Think This Can Be A Learning Moment |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
01 Jul 2002
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This situation resulted mainly from miscommunication. A small part of this was the fault of the IMC, although I think that the failure of the police to ascertain all the facts, use some judegement, and communcate what was required clearly was the bigger part of the problem. All this with the caveat that I wasn't there, although I have heard several different accounts.
I'm sure the Office probably wishes they had handled this differently at this point also. There is little to be gained from trying to build this into some sort of a boycott. People are free to do what they wish, but do not paint it as having anything to do with the official position of the IMC. What PO'd suggests is up to them, but it is not what the IMC would suggest. Far better to go in and have a beer and mention that you're came downtown because of the IMC and saw that they were right next door.
The position of the IMC is that this incident causes us great concern due to the way it was handled, that it needs to be examined for the poor way in which it was handled, with an eye to exploring ways to prevent future problems of this nature by keeping open the lines of communication.
The IMC wants to do its part to build up the downtown area in Urbana and we think we are doing our share to help. We already bring in large numbers of people to various meetings, events and shows a number of times every week. We know that the Office, along with the other downtown Urbana businesses, benefits from the influx of people to downtown. Perhaps the Office didn't realize it before, but I'm sure they do now. And I think everyone involved wants downtown Urbana to grow. The IMC will be doing its part and we feel sure that others want the same. |
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Agreed |
by PO'd
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
02 Jul 2002
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I think ML is right, and his conception of the IMC's best response seems spot-on. I'm not associated in *any way* with the IMC, and my idea should *never* be thought of as an IMC idea.
But being a capitalist - I still think it's a pretty good one. =) |
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Wow |
by Glen Martin
ghmart (nospam) juno.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
04 Jul 2002
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I have to say that I am shocked about this story. You are so right about the comment that if it were an alcoholic promotional vehicle or the Hooters girls they would not have bothered it. After reading this I feel that I will make a point of never visiting the establishment you refer to in the article. |
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Thank you |
by tim lillig
timlillig (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
09 Jul 2002
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As one of the artists shown in the Bookmobile and someone who used to live only a few blocks from where all thias happened, thank you. I agree that these events are a much better way to revitalize Urbana and probably the only way to make the downtown more active at 3 in the afternoon than they are at three in the morning without extending the bar hours. Good luck with the ticket and don't let the police talk you into changing your story or thinking that this is anything but extra-legal harassment. |
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official IMC position? |
by kayoss
kayoss (nospam) rworld.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
11 Jul 2002
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there is such thing as an official IMC opinion? i was not aware of this... |
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generating business |
by Meg Miner
blue2 (nospam) net66.com (unverified) |
Current rating: -1
12 Jul 2002
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I saw the end of this story (officer issuing the ticket), and feel I'd like to add my voice to the "bringing business to town" angle of it. I work in Champaign and usually am anxious to get home to Mansfield (17 miles west) at the end of the week -- I'm not a bar lover these days! Instead, when I heard about the bookmobile visit, I arranged to meet two friends for dinner in Urbana as a way to get in a visit and tour this unusual city event. My friends drove in from Danville and West Lafayette, IN. So we're only three people, but we are a handful of the many people I saw who were drawn to the bookmobile on Friday night. It was an attention getter!
I also took a look at the sidewalk before it was cleared. If people were stopped by the set up, it was because they chose to stop and look at what was going on. there was plenty of room to move through the space between the lawn chairs and the stands for the bookmobile's material. The entire thing was far removed from the door of the office, which I think is on that curve where no one can park anyway.
I was embarrasses for C-U and the IMC for the harrassment the bookmobile visitors received. I hope there was some satisfaction at the City Council meeting.
Good luck! |
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