This morning I had to go to school for a meeting.
Happy (and a little surprised), I got to campus fifteen minutes early for the meeting.
Little did I know I was actually 35 minutes late.
I spent 50 minutes driving around the parking structure and parking lot looking for a parking space. More than once I thought about leaving campus and missing the meeting. I also thought about pulling over and crying and pulling out my hair (an emotional vestige from the toddler years, I think). I thought about driving to the Indian restaurant down the street, parking there, going to the meeting, and then going back for some chicken tikka masala (just to be honest, of course! restaurant parking for patrons only).
The disturbing part of looking for a parking space is that it requires (1) another person (2) with a car to (3) approach his car (4) get inside and (5) move the car out of the parking space. Sometimes people get all the way up to step (4) before you realize that they have no intentions of bringing the process to fruition with step (5). Also disturbing is the process of following someone slowly through the parking lot, trying to determine from his gait, demeanor, and pace whether he is intending to leave school and whether he is walking down the row where he's actually parked his car (sometimes people make last minute escapes to the row next door, where another evil car is already poised to take the parking space).
Another problem is realizing that the other drivers are not your friends. They are your enemies (maybe not in general, but they are as far as hunts for parking spaces are concerned). I didn't like that part either.
That to say that, were I a more aggressive (and aware) driver, I don't think my parking lot wanderings would've taken quite so long.
But I'm not.
So they did.
Does anybody out there give healthy driving aggression lessons?
2 comments:
I learned to channel all of my agression into manipulation: one of my supervisors is responsible for bestowing the sacred "employee parking" mirror-hangers. I utilized the powerful (and dangerous) "faithful subordinate and personal friend" card to convince her that I was worthy.
Needless to say, reserved parking is very nice to have. (With electrical outlets, even!)
I'm changing my vote.
You should change your meeting plans so that you always meet over lunch at the restaurant.
Nothing makes meetings better than Butter Chicken with mango chutney and extra naan.
(If you meet once a week they might even let you park there all day...)
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