Where’s my car!
My Tuesday ritual is to goto a civic centre and soak in the hot tub for 2 hours. I’ve done this for nearly a year now. I invite friends and we all have a fantastic time catching up on the week. My story starts with me going down to the parkade to leave.
As I’m walking to my car’s spot, I first notice that I can’t see it. There’s a giant hummer there and I somehow rationalize that it’s somehow shrunk and hiding. As I get closer it becomes very clear that my car is in fact not there. Several things cross my mind:
- I had completely ignored the “parking pass” rule and somehow someone reported me for parking in my own spot. My car has been towed someplace and I’m doomed.
- Someone stole my car, but there appears to be a lack of evidence to support that.
- I left my car someplace, but where?
So, I narrow it down to my car it somewhere else, of my own choosing. I walk back up to the lobby and consider my options. Did I park it outside the building on the street? Was I drunk recently and got a ride back home? ORRRRR, did I stop at work on the way home from dinner this Sunday… and… leave it parked at work?
Suddenly a panic hits me… I’ve left my car at a meter for 2 days. How long does it take them to impound a car? Assuming the worst, but wanting to deny it… I run to work. On the way I’m texting my friend Curtis with my “hilarious” news. He offers me a ride if my car is M.I.A. At least I’d make it to hot tubing tonight!
Well, I turn the corner (by now I clearly remember driving it there and even where I parked it…) and my car is sitting happily on the street. My next biggest fear I came up with on the way there was I would have dozens of tickets. Once the parking gestapo discovered the car was “abandoned” they would ticket it every 30 minutes or something… right? Thankfully, it appears these “angles of parking violations” are very routine and only pass this meter twice a day. Resulting in a mere $40 worth of tickets.
Woo, I was lucky there. Best part was my car didn’t start immediately when I turned the key. Apparently -7C is too cold for it? Must be lazy now that it’s in a heated parkade.
grampa said,
March 30, 2009 @ 9:00 am
Sounds like a real stressful situation. You came through this one very well. In Calgary, your car would have been taken by mr. hook to manchester yard very heartlessly and quickly. Living in a smaller place sure had it’s advantages for you there. How was the hot tubbing? Any females go their?
grampa m and the Kat, Maggy