Road Tripping with “Rikki” Spector

A recent Sun story reports that City Councilwoman Rochelle “Rikki” Spector recently charged the city more than $3,000 for car travel within the city over a 13-month period (only one other councilperson, Helen Holton, has sought reimbursement for such travel, and Holton’s expenses amounted to less than $200 in the same period.) Spector says most of the expenses are the result of traveling from her boyfriend’s Harborview condo downtown, where she admits she spends most of her time, to her Northwest Baltimore district (though she maintains a home in the district). But even given the distance, it’s hard to imagine the winding routes Spector must take to arrive at her mileage figures. For example, on Oct. 10, Spector billed for 53 miles for trips to two events in her district: at Comprehensive Housing Assistance Inc. in the 5800 block of Park Heights Avenue and at Northwestern High School in the 6900 block of Park Heights (ironically, just five blocks from her house in the district). To help make some sense of the expense reports, City Paper imagined what might have been Ms. Spector’s route to the events:

A. Spector starts the day at her boyfriend’s condo: 100 Harborview Drive.

B. Can’t see the constituents on an empty stomach: Lamill Coffe at the Four Seasons, 200 International Drive.

C. Quick stop to see the new chinchilla stoles at Mano Swartz: 10801 Falls Road.

D. Getting down to work: Comprehensive Housing Assistance Inc: 5809 Park Heights Ave.

E. Stop at “official” house, feed the fish: 7404 Park Heights Ave.

F. Shoot! Forgot to water the plants. Back to BF’s house: 100 Harborview Drive.

G. Education is priority number one: Northwestern High School, 6900 Park Heights Ave.

H. Starved again—back downtown for Cindy’s yummy Rockfish at Charleston, 1000 Lancaster St.

I. Nightcap! A specialty “Cardinal Sin” cocktail at B&O American Brasserie, 2 North Charles St.

J. Finally, the long commute ends at BF’s house, 100 Harborview Dr.

TOTAL MILEAGE: 53.8 miles