I'm an Asshole
Jesus Christ. Some butch woman in a pickup truck just called me an asshole. That doesn't happen every day.
What happened was that a few minutes before six o'clock, I arrived home but couldn't find a parking space in front of our building. So I circled the block to see if anything nearby was open. Nothing.
So I went an extra block to the traffic-heavy MLK, pulled into a street side parking space and shut off my car. The supposed problem with this is that my aforementioned parking space is only a parking space after 6 PM. According to my clock, it was then just a minute or two after.
Now, there was no one in the lane behind me when I pulled up to my parking spot, but this didn't last long and some old woman pulled up behind me. I gestured to let her know that I was getting out of my car. She looked all exasperated because she had to go around me, which, had she noticed what I was doing before she pulled in behind me, it wouldn't have been such a big fucking deal.
So I sat in my car for another minute as I gathered up my things when up came Miss Machismo in the pickup. She honked, because I was in her way. I gave a noticeable shrug, as if to say, "Not my frickin' problem." She gestured back, as if to say, "Oh, yes, it fucking is." I opened my door.
She then came speeding around me, tires screeching. By this time, the traffic was still mildly heavy but she had no problem merging into the other lane. Besides, she shouldn't have pulled up behind a parked car.
So, then, as I was getting out of my car, I could hear her yelling. "You're an asshole," she said, leaning across the passenger seat.
I pointed to the sign in front of my car. "At six o'clock, I can park here!"
"Yeah, well it's just now six. You were there too early! You're an asshole!"
I said something unintelligible at this point and then started to walk away, shrugging.
She called after me, "Find a legal parking space!"
I left my stuff in the car and forgot to lock it. Before this, I had always wondered what it'd be like to be the first person to park in one of those spaces once the six o'clock hour struck. Every motorist just assumes (or hopes) that they won't be the unlucky one stuck behind the one who does. But it's bound to happen.
Anyway, I was kinda scared of this woman and all the other people I pissed off, so when I walked in the door, I immediately asked Leon to go back to the car and lock it. He said that three people were already parked behind me.
I said, "I wonder how often this happens: the first person to park in those spots gets bitched out."
It does suck for the cars still in "rush hour" that there has to be a break-off point for that lane of traffic and perhaps it should be pushed back to seven (but who would park there then?). But it's not my fucking fault that I followed the law and it inconvenienced someone else.
And just to be sure that Miss Machismo wasn't right, that the clock in my car was correct, and I had parked there legally, I checked the atomic clock when I got home. It was several minutes after six (it took maybe two or three to walk here and talk to Leon). So I was right. But where does that get me?
Now I worry that my car will be vandalized or that I may do something soon to piss off any aggressive Berkeley driver.
What happened was that a few minutes before six o'clock, I arrived home but couldn't find a parking space in front of our building. So I circled the block to see if anything nearby was open. Nothing.
So I went an extra block to the traffic-heavy MLK, pulled into a street side parking space and shut off my car. The supposed problem with this is that my aforementioned parking space is only a parking space after 6 PM. According to my clock, it was then just a minute or two after.
Now, there was no one in the lane behind me when I pulled up to my parking spot, but this didn't last long and some old woman pulled up behind me. I gestured to let her know that I was getting out of my car. She looked all exasperated because she had to go around me, which, had she noticed what I was doing before she pulled in behind me, it wouldn't have been such a big fucking deal.
So I sat in my car for another minute as I gathered up my things when up came Miss Machismo in the pickup. She honked, because I was in her way. I gave a noticeable shrug, as if to say, "Not my frickin' problem." She gestured back, as if to say, "Oh, yes, it fucking is." I opened my door.
She then came speeding around me, tires screeching. By this time, the traffic was still mildly heavy but she had no problem merging into the other lane. Besides, she shouldn't have pulled up behind a parked car.
So, then, as I was getting out of my car, I could hear her yelling. "You're an asshole," she said, leaning across the passenger seat.
I pointed to the sign in front of my car. "At six o'clock, I can park here!"
"Yeah, well it's just now six. You were there too early! You're an asshole!"
I said something unintelligible at this point and then started to walk away, shrugging.
She called after me, "Find a legal parking space!"
I left my stuff in the car and forgot to lock it. Before this, I had always wondered what it'd be like to be the first person to park in one of those spaces once the six o'clock hour struck. Every motorist just assumes (or hopes) that they won't be the unlucky one stuck behind the one who does. But it's bound to happen.
Anyway, I was kinda scared of this woman and all the other people I pissed off, so when I walked in the door, I immediately asked Leon to go back to the car and lock it. He said that three people were already parked behind me.
I said, "I wonder how often this happens: the first person to park in those spots gets bitched out."
It does suck for the cars still in "rush hour" that there has to be a break-off point for that lane of traffic and perhaps it should be pushed back to seven (but who would park there then?). But it's not my fucking fault that I followed the law and it inconvenienced someone else.
And just to be sure that Miss Machismo wasn't right, that the clock in my car was correct, and I had parked there legally, I checked the atomic clock when I got home. It was several minutes after six (it took maybe two or three to walk here and talk to Leon). So I was right. But where does that get me?
Now I worry that my car will be vandalized or that I may do something soon to piss off any aggressive Berkeley driver.