Last week I drove downtown to see about the availability to get tickets to “Wicked” at the Orpheum. I parked on Mission St. off of 8th St. where there were construction sign boards stating “No Parking. Mon-Sat 7:00 am to 4:00”. Since it was 3:55 pm, I thought it would be safe and put quarters for about 40 minutes of parking time into meter and went about my errands.
When I came back, I saw my car was gone. What happened? This is not what I needed. Did the tow truck come by and tow my car within the 5 minutes remaining to 4 o’clock? Then I noticed the No Parking sign from 4-7:00 pm as the parking spaces became a traffic lane. How could I have missed it? This is not what I needed. Stupid.
I called the number on the sign and fortunately my car had been towed to a place only four blocks away on 7th and Harrison. I walked there and paid the towing charge: $273. And there was a parking ticket on my windshield of my car: $73. For a grand total of $346—this is not what I needed.
But what was disturbing were the number of people who were also picking up their towed cars. Rather than feeling good not to be the only forgetful, stupid person, I was troubled by the continuous steady stream of people who were there to pick up their autos. At any one time from the time I arrived to the time I paid to the time I left, there were at least four people at the pick up gate. Is there that many people who left their cars in No Parking Zones? The City and AutoReturn, the towing service, must be making good money on all this forgetfulness.
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