Parking Structures

Today after the Adcenter seminar, I went to free my vehicle from the parking structure which proved to be more difficult than I thought. I didn't realize when exiting that there is in fact only one exit where a person would take your money. The other is for permit parking.

Imagine with me that VCU classes have just ended, and there are lines and lines of cars waiting to get out of this parking structure. I have just blocked the permit exit. I have no permit, just $3.25 to pay the attendant. Now I’m stuck and I can’t back up. Cars start piling up behind me.

At this point I throw my hands up and decide I am going to run from my car and never look back, but I couldn’t leave my Carlos (my car) alone to be stuck in the parking structure. I decide to do the next best thing, go around the gate. You must keep in mind I have a ‘95 Ford Escort, by no means an off-road vehicle, but I saw no other choice.

This is where things get interesting.

As I am bumping and scraping poor Carlos over the barrier and around the gate, a girl entering the parking structure yells at me in a condescending tone, “you can’t do that.” She seems to think she is telling me something I don’t already know. Oh in your country you don’t go around barriers and gates?

I held my $3.25 at her and said, “I didn’t know I couldn’t get out this way,” but I am still trying to focus on not breaking my beloved Carlos and getting into even worse of a mess than I was already in.

This girl seems to find a need to continue this conversation as though I have all the time in the world to discuss this situation with her. She responds, “Oh yes you did.”

Oh right, I forgot how much I love public humiliation, and really I just wanted to take my Carlos for a joy ride over the barrier and around the gate. Plus, I didn’t want to pay the attendents. Three dollars is just too much especially when I already have it in my hand to pay!!! That is way too much work. No no, I'd just rather go around the barrier through this exit. Of course I knew I couldn’t get out this way.

In the end she tells me “to have a nice day” still in the pompous tone that she started with.

As I drove away at first I had mixed feelings of being angry and not believing I freed myself from this parking trap, but my anger and humiliation quickly turned into laughter the whole way home as I kept repeating in my head “you can’t do that.” Apparently, I can do that and I did.

Additionally, I plan on next week paying $6.50 for my parking stay and going out the correct exit. If you are worried about becoming a victim of a parking stucture debacle, please contact me with any questions or concerns.