pseudostoops

now clogging the internet elsewhere

13 September 2006

Jesus, is she still talking about parking?

I lived in San Francisco and environs for several years before moving here. There were several things about San Francisco that were good:

  • The hills and the ocean
  • Nice progressive people
  • Burritos
There were, however, some things about San Francisco that were bad:
  • Parking
  • That time I almost stepped on a hypodermic needle in the park
  • Parking
As much as I would love to exist solely on public transportation, I am fairly regularly struck with city clausterphobia, wherein I feel the need to flee on short notice and go into the woods, or on a road trip to Carlsbad or something. Having to rent a car every time I want to go on a hike, or have a yearning to visit the last state in the union I haven't been to? 1 Not so much. I really like having a car. So parking in San Francisco? Awful. This is no secret, but it is really true. I was glad, when I moved away from the Bay Area, that I had finally left the days of “we don’t really need to go grocery shopping today do we? Can we eat ramen for two more days? Because we have a really great parking spot and I’d hate to lose it” behind me. At least I thought I’d left it behind me. After my (ahem) encounter with the university parking assholes a few days ago, I’d resigned myself to another year of fairly easy, if slightly annoying, street parking. What the parking assholes had failed to mention, however, was that the insane amount of construction currently taking place on campus has decreased the number of available street parking spaces. Dramatically decreased. As in, there used to be eight blocks where you could park your car near-ish to the law school and now, thanks to huge construction equipment and stripped streets and open manhole covers, there are two. Two blocks. From eight to two, people. It’s fucking San Francisco all over again. Thing is, if I have to circle and hover behind people who look like they might be leaving and all the rest of it, just to get a parking spot to go to class, it’s going to be awfully tempting to just turn around and go home. I can wear sweatpants at home. I do lots of things at home- cook, eat, sleep, read- no reason I can’t complete my third year of law school there, too, right? 1 West Virginia

2 Comments:

At 9/13/2006 12:43:00 PM, Blogger Green said...

Parking at my college was tough. I employed the stalking method. I'd sit in the car near where people walked off campus into the parking lot, and as long as they looked normal, say "Hey, I'll give you a ride to your car if I can have your parking spot."

Most people would either accept, or point and say "I'm right here" and then walk to their car themselves.

Personally, I NEVER would have gotten into a car with a stranger! I was SHOCKED at how many people did it.

 
At 9/14/2006 09:55:00 AM, Blogger Cheryl said...

What a pain! Is there any public transportation that goes to school? That might be your best bet...

Then keep the car on the side for those spontaneous mini-breaks into nature!

 

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