Wednesday, May 20, 2009

You want I should circle?


The thing about having a car in Manhattan is that even if you never take it anywhere it always has to be moved.  I am in my car all the time but I am not driving it down to the drug store or the movies like Jerry and Kramer were always doing.  I am moving it from one side of the street to the other.  So, it's a job.  It always has to be done.  I always have to be aware of what day it is and what side of the street my car needs to be on to avoid that $65 fine from the city of  New York.  I am always on the lookout for a good spot.  I find myself muttering to myself in the west village, nowhere near my car or where I live, "look at that spot."  "And it's a Tues & Fri spot.  Sweet!"  I am constantly checking parking regulation signs in neighborhoods all over the city.  I am making mental notes.  "If I am ever near 68th and 10th, there are some good spots on the west side of the street."  If I see an empty space between two cars, no matter where I am, I mentally size it up to see if my car would fit.  Meanwhile my car is on 97th street, nowhere near any of these thoughts.  It is all I think about.  Fucking parking!  I set my goddamn alarm early just so I can get up and move my car before it is too hard to find a spot.  I get so excited when I get a spot right in front of my building.  I have no idea why.  It's not like I ever need to get to it quickly.  I never take it anywhere.  If someone asks me for a ride home, I make up an excuse why I can't drive them.  The real reason is I don't want to give up my sweet spot.  I am kind of looking forward to the day when I wake early on a Thursday, walk to 101st street to move my car and find it is no longer there.  Then I can finally sleep in. Then I will not be plagued by available spaces between cars all over this car-crowded city.  Sometimes I feel like no one really uses these Manhattan cars to go anywhere.  We are all just moving them from one side of the street to the other.  Anyway, if you see that piece of shit, white Nissan Sentra w/ the CO plates and the Sirius satelite antenna on top anywhere in this city, take it.  Free me.

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