the sadistic parking garage lady

[ritaxis]

So I've been driving to work most days. I'm sad and burnt out and I want to get out of the house at the last minute and get back to my dog as fast as possible. And I don't want to be late to work after I told everybody I feel better about things now that I have an exit date.

So I didn't have any parking change. So I figured I would park in the garage near to where I work (locals: the one with Little Shanghai and Atlantis in it) and pay them with folding money at the end of the day. But I saw a "No Twenties" sign on my way out (and why not on the way in?) and I knew I only had twenties so I planned to stop at Little Shanghai on the corner and buy a package of plum wafers so I would have dollars and fives and things. I was ten minutes early, everythign should be fine. But I discovered on my way in that I did not have my wallet so I would not be able to pay for parking at all. So I went back to the car and looked for my wallet in the car. No. So I had to leave. After all, if you just come in and go again they don't charge you.

I shouldn't have. I should have left the car and walked home after work and walked back to the garage later at night and paid for the accumulated parking (it's an all-day, and into the late night garage, which is another reason why I parked there: no three-hour limit). Because the lady at the kiosk demanded a quarter and I didn't have one. I had already explained why I was leaving so soon -- because I had no money for parking. She said I had been parked for ten minutes and you only get four minutes free.

She was having such a fun time telling me this. With a flourish she said, when I repeated I didn't have anything, that she wouldn't let me out of the garage until she wrote me a ticket. And she proceeded to write me a twenty dollar ticket for the failure to have a quarter. She said if I came back before three with a quarter I could pay off the ticket with it. After she already knew I didn't have a quarter and couldn't get out of work to bring one to her if I had it.

I was of course crying by then -- I was already pretty upset because I had gotten yet another condolence from someone I hadn't seen in years -- and she just got smugger and smugger.

I was nine minutes late.

It was an okay day at work, though. I realized at six, when the little boy who is usually last started asking for the ritual mommy songs, that I had not sung all day, which is really unusual, and I'm sorry for it. I'll do better tomorrow.

Comments

[brooksmoses]

Gracious. I think I shall pity her, bless her heart, because she must have such an unfulfilling and otherwise powerless life to want to do such things.

If I had been there as a stranger, I still would have given her a quarter just to watch her deflate, though.

[momomom.livejournal.com]

What a horrible bitch. I'm so sorry.

I'd have figured out who

[dragonet2.livejournal.com]

hired her and asked to have her fired. What a horrible bitch. She doesn't need to have a job where she works with human beings. (she's probably not smart enough to do data entry...)

So sorry, hopes for things getting better.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

How awful. Did you find your wallet?

[ritaxis.livejournal.com]

not yet, but I will. I looked, but I can never find anyth8ing, even in a lit room, after sunset.

[sciamanna.livejournal.com]

::Hugs::

Sadistic sounds exactly like the right word. I'm so sorry you had to meet her.

[green-knight.livejournal.com]

Sorry you had such a lousy day. I agree, speak to her employer.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

That woman was a nasty piece of work. I'm so sorry that you had to endure her cruelty. Is there anyway you can appeal on the 20 dollar ticket and complain about her behaviour?

[carolf.livejournal.com]

I wonder if an appeal is necessary? I don't know the local laws, so this is not a suggestion, but it seems to me that no one will enforce this ticket. It's simply too ridiculous, and not worth the cost of enforcing it, which is significantly higher than the "fine." Government can be really inefficient at times, but in the long run, most individuals have some sense of proportion, particularly when they are the ones who have to do the work.

[ritaxis.livejournal.com]

In California, they add it to your car registration if you don't pay it. But I can appeal it, it will just take a few hours in night court, mostly waiting around, and I might not win. But, like the University thing, I'm still going ahead with it. It's dumb and mean.

[carolf.livejournal.com]

Oh, that is quite different. Around here (and in much of the state, I think) parking lots are privatized, so they have no authority to impose fines.

Except for the principle, in this case I'd just let it go. I judge how I use time by the lost money from not working. (self employed) I'm not expensive, but a quarter isn't even in the ball park.

Yeah. Sometimes I hate principles.

Go you!

[carolf.livejournal.com]

(((((((ritaxis)))))))

Sometimes I think bearing these little crosses bear us down more than the large ones. Hugs.

I'm assuming that right now, hugs and listening ears (eyes) are more of what you need than fixes. If I'm wrong, I have a few suggestions to add to the excellent ones you've received.

It is such a cliche to say it does get better. It's true. But man, the time period while it progresses to better enough is hell on earth.

More hugs. And plenty where they come from.