My Parking Faux Pas*

Let me begin by saying that I don't generally go around breaking parking laws. I never, ever park in spots reserved for the disabled and I get quite angry when I see people with no disabled permit drive into one of those spots.

I don't think I've ever even  parked in a "parents with pram" spot - even when having 3 children in the back!! Okay, this is mainly due to the fact that they are always taken (probably by people without prams who don't require a wider parking spot grrrr). The point is, even if I see an empty spot reserved for parents, I don't park in it even though technically I always have a pram with me!

However, the other day I was forced to break parking laws! Yes, forced. I squarely lay the blame with Council and planning authorities for not having the foresight to design a business/medical/retail district with adequate parking. It's definitely their fault and not mine.

I was meeting two of my lovely friends for lunch at a place sandwiched amongst medical facilities and other various shops. The group of shops is bordered by a couple of main roads and little street parking...when I got there, there wasn't a parking spot to be found (even two blocks away - nothing)!

So in desperation, I ignored the big "This parking is for residents and their guests only" warning signs and drove quickly into the retirement village car park! I quickly found a car spot, parked the car and then....just sat there. I felt bad but really what choice did I have? A couple of old people sat outside the reception foyer doors...I could just see them running inside to dob on me! I looked up at the various units surrounding me and imagined little old people shaking their heads and ringing management to have me towed away...

But then I thought 'This is a huge car park...these cars cannot possible belong to the residents and their friends! Other people must surely be parked in here! These old people are surely not holding big parties in their little units in the middle of a weekday!'  ... So I slunk out of the car and casually walked towards one of the buildings as if I were there on some sort of business and then quickly did a right turn and briskly walked towards the street, avoiding eye contact with those that drove in. I think I may have even headed towards the mail boxes as if I was going to collect the mail :) Great undercover work!

Eventually I was out and I was safe. And this story has a happy ending...one friend also joined me in parking there and another friend parked in the hospital...and none of us got towed away, fined, abused etc. Is it even a crime? I'm thinking not. They just put up scary signs to deter people, but really what are they going to do?! Chase us with a broomstick?

Parking rules are dumb and stupid anyway. My husband almost got fined when we had Daniel because he had not gone and obtained a parking ticket to put on the car before taking me up to the maternity ward. When we wrote to the company saying I was well advanced in my labour and he was rushing me to the delivery ward, they responded that that wasn't a good enough reason because there were plenty of warning signs! What the?! Bet a man wrote that letter! They threatened to take us to court but we ignored them and they eventually went away - we found out they had no authority whatsoever to fine people! I think this has changed now, but sometimes I still don't pay there on principle.

So there you have it. Not a parking crime, just a little parking faux pas.

* All credit to Rosanna V for the title of this blog post :)