The New Hampshire city of Keene is suing “Robin Hood and His Merry Men” — a group that has made a name for itself by putting coins in people’s parking meters before parking enforcement agents can slap them with a ticket.

The New Hampshire Union Leader reported this week that the six “Robin Hooders” named in the suit troll downtown Keene — often tracking parking enforcement officers — in search of cars parked at expired meters.

When they find one, they pay the meter and slip notes under the windshield wiper of the vehicle that says: “Your meter expired; however, we saved you from the king’s tariffs, Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Please consider paying it forward.” The note includes an address where people can send donations for the effort.

The city claims in the lawsuit that the “Robin Hooders” are taunting and harassing the city’s three parking enforcement officers and causing them so much anxiety and distress that they’ve considered leaving their jobs — an outcome that would force the city to pick up the tab for hiring and training replacements.

“They say video recording or talking to them is harassing them, but I don’t agree with that,” James Cleaveland, a member of the group, told the Union Leader.

The city is asking the court to establish a “safety zone” that blocks these six “Robin Hooders” from coming within 50 feet of the parking agents. The city said that will allow parking enforcement officers to do their job without interference, and denied it was trying to prevent members of the group from “exercising their constitutional rights.”

The lawsuit claims that since December, the group has “intentionally taunted, interfered with, harassed and intimidated” the parking enforcement officers “by closely following them on foot and in automobiles in groups of one, two or more, often with video camera equipment and coordinating their activities using radio communication.”

In an affidavit, one of the parking enforcement officers said the group has harassed her: “Besides following me, crowding around me, making video recordings of my activities, and placing coins in expired meters to prevent me from writing tickets, these individuals repeatedly taunt and harass me, asking why I am stealing people’s money and telling me to get another job,” the officer said.

Another officer said he had been “bumped into, and taunted” by the group, “including profanities and derogatory statements relative to his military service.”

The “Robin Hooders” counter that the city — population of just over 23,000 — is upset because it is losing out on revenue.

They claim to have prevented thousands of tickets from being issued.

The Union Leader reported that the group is tied to Free Keene, which describes itself on its website as a group of people who have realized that government is “the violent monopoly” and says that “aggressing against one’s neighbors, regardless of the goals one is looking to accomplish, is unacceptable and morally bankrupt.”

“The next great step for mankind is the step toward the voluntary society,” the website reads. “We are going to accomplish this using peaceful, market-based actions. This is not a revolution. We are not revolving, or going back to the beginning. This is evolution.”

 kronk wrote:
I like that they're paying people's meters and leaving funny notes.

I don't like that they're harassing the meter maids.

 notprop wrote:
I am all for this. Assuming;

1 - they are wearing traditional "Hollywood" robin hood outfits ala Errol Flynn

2 - When they harass the meter maid they do so in character e.g. [RH jumps out from behind dumpster] AHAA! ] Thine tithe remains payd. Thou thou'st has to remain in the dark'eth as to the identity of this hooded avenger. Fayre the well Oppresiss. Haaa-HAAAAR! [runs off down the alley way]

 kronk wrote:
I like that they're paying people's meters and leaving funny notes.

I don't like that they're harassing the meter maids.

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:
That's my thinking on it too.
By all means pay the meters, but harassing people by taunting them and telling them to get another job is crossing the line.

 Grey Templar wrote:
So is there evidence there was actual harassment?

Or is this a case of them not liking these guys walking around nearby. Talking with and filming someone doesn't count, unless the conversation was actually abusive.

 Frazzled wrote:
They are claiming video taping them is harassment. Guess what, as public employees in a public space, it aint.

 Frazzled wrote:
They are claiming video taping them is harassment. Guess what, as public employees in a public space, it aint.

Talizvar wrote:Great thing to do for the citizens especially if they never bothered to pay. They should keep a list of license plates and record how many vehicles and how often they paid for them.

It is a growing trend that people view government as "violence against the people" and anarchists just feel the people can handle things that organized government has no right to. I agree with some matters, parking is not one of them.

The space on the road or lot could have been put to more profitable or useful purposes. Local parking is a priority and it needs to be paid for downtown access. Ticketing is a "revenue stream" and punishment or no-one would put money in a parking meter. Could you imagine what would be charged for a privately owned lot?

To find joy in the discomfort of others is not a pretty thing. I figure the meter maids should have a small camera of their own to wear during the day (they can turn on as they wish) to ensure good behavior of "the merry men".

Valion wrote:

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:
That's my thinking on it too.
By all means pay the meters, but harassing people by taunting them and telling them to get another job is crossing the line.

There are some jobs that deserve verbal abuse.

Drug dealers, pimps, IRS employees, meter maids, etc.

 Ignatius wrote:
Having worked as a meter maid in my city, I find this hilarious. It would be a great break up from the monotony of writing ticket after ticket.

At the same time, verbally abusing someone is crossing the line a little bit I think. If you can harass someone in a funny and non hurtful way (as exampled above about speaking as though you are Robin Hood) then go for it. You're probably making yourself look dumber than any insult you can come up with.

But talking about finding another job or someone's military service for god's sake is another thing.

In short, be funny while you're helping people- but don't cross the line.

 azazel the cat wrote:
Equating the last two with the first two is asinine. What do you do for a living, again?

 Valion wrote:

 azazel the cat wrote:
Equating the last two with the first two is asinine. What do you do for a living, again?

Me? Oh, I do parking enforcement for the IRS.

 kronk wrote:
Respectable job!

 Frazzled wrote:
You're right. you shouldn't comflate the last two with the first two. After all, the first two provide a service.

feeder wrote:
Well, yeah. If you choose parking enforcement as your career path, then you deserve all the gak that is heaped upon you. Seriously, name one vocation that is worth less respect than a fething meter maid.

Especially in my city. It's like they want me to drive to Walmart where I can shop all day and park for free.

 notprop wrote:
Naturally, it would look silly to do otherwise.

This all puts me in mind of Anglegrinder Man - bane of clampers!