WHERE DO I PARK?

There’s a scramble for parking at The Home. While a few are finding new spots today, most will begin the search tomorrow. We have all been asked to remove our cars from the garage between 10-4 on Saturday. They plan to blow the dust and dirt out of the space.

First, I cannot imagine it taking that long. I had a larger parking lot in St, Helens and even with breaks could get it done in about three hors. Who knows, they may do a better job than I ever did.

Second, parking around and near The Home is almost impossible to find. Most cars are in the garage. We have eight outside on site parking spots. Three are taken by residents for whom there is no room inside. There is no on street parking anywhere hear The Home. There are businesses directly across the street from us that all have parking lots. Each has posted specific signs directed specific at people who may park in their lot and walk across the street to The Home. The word is “Don’t you dare park here.”

There is a parking lot we are permitted to use at the north end of our buildings. It is owned by the local public schools. It is used for a ball field that has games or practice nearly everyday after school and several games on Saturdays. When the crowds come for the games, they fill that parking lot.

There will be a game tomorrow morning and people will begin arriving between 8:30 and 8:45 for a 9:00 game. We are no required to have out cars our of the garage until 10:00. See the problem. If residents wait till close to 10:00, there will be no parking close to The Home left. They will be pushed out 2-4 blocks away.

I can hear the howling now. This will not be a happy time. I decided to get a jump on the problem and have already moved my car to one of the on site spots. I plan to spend much of the day with my family tomorrow so will be leaving, but is it unlikely I will go before 10:00. I’m glad about that. I am excited about watching the fireworks and hearing the explosions. If you can drive, you can walk, but that won’t stop the screaming.

I just love a good action scene.

PARKING

We have a problem at The Home. I have no idea what the situation was when the buildings were built, this may not have been an issue at the time, but it is now. There is not enough parking for the residents. The last building is only eleven years old, so I assume someone was just not thinking ahead — but who knows things may have changed. Maybe we are just healthier than eleven years ago. Maybe we are driving longer. Maybe there are just more of us with cars. Who knows?

The plot is small. There were eight spaces set aside for visitors, care givers and anyone else who happens on the property. All eight are now needed for residents. A decision has been made to restrict what on site parking we have for residents only. Those not in the garage are demanding it. The next problem is that there is no on street parking. There is a large restaurant with parking across the street. Some park there, but they are taking their lives in their hands to cross the street. When parking there one crosses illegally on a curve. Cars fly around that curve like it was a raceway. But some guests do it anyway. It is assumed they are younger and faster than our residents.

There is a small strip mall across from my building. Some park there, but very few. They have tow away signs everywhere. People are told to park in a lot owned by the school district across the street at the back of the property. That means guests have to walk a half a block through our property to get to the front doors were they can be buzzed into the building. This doesn’t affect me as I am on that far end and the only people coming to visit me call me on the my cell when they arrive and I let them in the back door. They park there anyway as it is the closest for them.

This is all well and good, but management is establishing the change today and plan to tow away cars immediately. They are installing a limited number of signs to mark the change, but it is possible these signs can be blocked. It seems it would have been better to put a sign at each parking space just like is done for disabled parking (I suspect I screwed up the proper terminology for that space).

This is being added after a car was towed away yesterday. It could not have happened to a more volatile, angry, vocal and hostile resident whose guest was her niece. The situation really is different. The niece was parked illegally and blocking a residents car. There was a sign posted. Our man did everything he could to find out who the driver was or whom they were visiting. No one recognized the car. The car had sat there about two hours before it was towed. It cost the offender $125 to get the car out. Not bad really, but certainly annoying. The impound lot of the towing company is only three blocks away.

The yelling and screaming has only just begun. Maria is not to be tangled with lightly. She has already made plenty of noise and it will go one for weeks. It does not matter that the car was parked illegally, no car has ever been towed before and this was Marias family. There will be hell to pay.

I just hope the man who made the call has tough skin. He will now have a permanent enemy. Forgiveness it not a part of Marias life.