Robin Hooding Story Goes Global via the Daily Mail!

daily-mail[1]The Robin Hood lawsuit story has gone global! Thanks to Joshua Gardner of the Daily Mail in the UK for his story about Robin Hood of Keene and the city’s lawsuit against us:

A town has filed suit against a group that walks around refilled the parking meters of strangers in an activity they call Robin Hooding.
Named for the classic do-gooder and their town of residence, Keene, New Hampsire, members of ‘Robin Hood of Keene’ are accused of harassing the city’s parking enforcement officers in a civil suit filed May 2.
The group denies this, however. They say the city is just mad because of lost revenue from parking tickets. (more…)

Robin Hood Lawsuit Hits Front Page of the Sentinel

RH_WantedThanks to the Keene Sentinel’s Kyle Jarvis for the follow up story he wrote about the people calling themselves the “City of Keene” suing Robin Hooders. The story is on the front page, above the fold:

The city of Keene says its parking enforcement officers need protection against members of a local pro-liberty group, and has filed court action to do so.

The petition, filed earlier this month in Cheshire County Superior Court, seeks to establish a 50-foot safety zone around the officers to alleviate what the city terms “harrassing behavior.” (more…)

Robin Hood Goes National – Washington Times Covers Lawsuit

The-Washington-Times[1]Thanks to Seth McLaughlin of the Washington Times for his report on the people calling themselves the “City of Keene” suing the heroic Robin Hooders:

The city of Keene, N.H., is suing “Robin Hood and his Merry Men” – a group that has made a name for itself by paying people’s parking meters before they can get slapped with a ticket from local parking enforcement officers.
The Union Leader reported Tuesday that six “Robin Hooders” troll the streets of the city’s quaint downtown in search of cars parked at expired meters. (more…)

Union Leader Reports on Robin Hooders Being Sued by “City of Keene”

robinThe Union Leader’s Megan Pierce covers the news about Robin Hooders being sued by the people calling themselves the “City of Keene”. Naturally, the commenters support the Robin Hooders.

KEENE – The city has filed a lawsuit against six citizens, part of a group dubbed Robin Hood of Keene that patrols downtown armed with video cameras and pockets full of change to fill expired parking meters.

Also known as Robin Hooders, the six are associated with the Free Keene group.

“They say video recording or talking to them is harassing them, but I don’t agree with that,” “Robin Hooder” James Cleaveland said of parking enforcement officers. “So they want to establish a safety zone of fifty feet.”

Members of the group place cards under windshield wipers that read, “Your meter expired; however, we saved you from the king’s tariffs, Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Please consider paying it forward,” and includes an address where donations can be sent.

The group says the suit was filed because the city is losing revenue from parking tickets. The city says the activists are harassing its employees. (more…)

AKPF #1 – Pilotus

akpf_censored1bFree Concord is pleased to present Cheshire county’s fanciest new variety series, AKPF #1. Episodes will premiere online at midnight on Monday mornings and broadcast at 7pm on local channel 8. In the first episode, our host guides us through segments including toilet safety lessons from Fred, being environmentally friendly from the parking force, and avoiding a riot with the students of UNH Durham. All of this and more comes together to provide twenty-nine minutes of weekly quality programming straight from the trenches of Keene, New Hampshire. Enjoy!

City of Keene Goes after Robin Hooders in Court – Admits the amount of tickets issued are down and robin hooding is legal

RH_WantedThe city of Keene has filed a lawsuit (copy here) against me and several other people regarding robin hooding (Respondents).  Basically, the city wants the court to issue a “preliminary” and “permanent” injunction “restraining Respondents, or anyone under their direction, supervision, employment, or control, from coming within a safety zone of fifty (50) feet of any PEO [Parking Enforcement Officer] while that PEO is on duty.” Additionally, the city wants to stop us “from video recording, within a safety zone of fifty (50) feet,” and “from communicating with any PEO.”

The city alleges that “Respondents have repeatedly video recorded, interfered with, taunted, and intimidated PEOs during the performance of their employment duties,” which is ridiculous for several reasons, most importantly, according to the job description for a city of Keene parking enforcer, “This position requires a person” to “relate with the general public” and “Endure verbal and mental abuse when confronted with the hostile views and opinions of the public and other individuals often encountered in an antagonistic environment.”

(more…)