“No Parking ANYTIME Between 1AM and 9AM”
Yeeaaahh,
We only found the sign
after we couldn’t find the car.
Thought it was a safe place to park
while at the Kentucky Proud baseball game,
and to be completely fair, it probably was
until about ten minutes before we got back;
the most expensive ten minutes of my life
because tow truckers can be pret-ty damn efficient.
I’ve seen the videos, they can be magical
but being honest, I was stupidly easy prey.
Natural selection would not have picked me that night.
It’s a new experience, so let’s go full millennial.
Hello! I’m calling ’cause I’m fairly certain you have my car.
You’re open twenty-four hours? I’ll try to get a ride.
Uber driver offers me his best you-poor-bastard laugh
saying, I bring people here at least three times a month.
Hoo-ray. I am idiot of the week.
At the customer service desk, I lead with Hey. I done goofed.
Keep cracking jokes to prove ownership of this mistake.
The guy handling paperwork says I’m taking this very well!
He sits behind bulletproof glass covered in tiny fractures
where I’m told a guy once started pounding so hard
he jammed a knuckle into his forearm.
The lot attendant takes me straight to my car, says
he just brought it in about half an hour ago.
I’m shooting for a world record: Shortest Tow Lot Occupancy.
A few more bereaucratic measures and I’m able to drive out.
Everyone praises my grace and understanding in paying a hundred-fifty
for someone to park my car somewhere else for half an hour.
But hey!
We won the baseball game at least!
😀
8 thoughts on "“No Parking ANYTIME Between 1AM and 9AM”"
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Your attitude about this is way better than mine would have been.
It really helped that I had nobody to blame but myself 😅
I had this happen to me once but the woman behind the bulletproof glass knew my daughter so I couldn’t get snarky!
Loved the tone and imagery throughout this poem! It brought me back to that very tiny office with the bulletproof glass where I was attempting to retrieve my own car after parking 2 spots away from the assigned Visitor Parking at a friend’s complex in college. Oh, what expensive lessons these are… :-&
Some perspective indeed, I was upset I got out of work (UK) when the game let out and I had to drive through a sea of people. You handled this well, kudos.
I love the narrative of this poem and all the interactions ( and your inner voice) and watching how you dealt with this whole event—!..And loved learning your team won the game which probably was a positive influence—-that may have kept you from pounding on the bulletproof glass!
Great job—thanks! Made me smile!
Agree with Kevin and others, you handled this well — and got a poem out of it to boot.
You did take that well and you took us readers along for a delightful ride. Nice writing, Philip.