The building I work in is located right next to Comerica Park - where the Detroit Tigers play. On a normal day, I am able to park in a parking garage nearby because I have a monthly pass. On game days though, if you're not in the garage by 10:00 am, you have to pay $20 to park there - even if you have a monthly pass!
This morning I had a meeting away from my office, and didn't get to the parking garage until about 11:30. Too late to get in without paying $20. This is a beef of mine: whenever there is a Tiger's game, parking lots and garages in Detroit double or triple their rates. It just doesn't seem right that they can do that.
Anyway, I had the bright idea to park at Compuware Corporation - a great parking garage just a short walk away, and, if I purchased something in one of the stores in the building I could get my parking validated and not have to pay a thing - or so I thought. So I popped into to the Borders and made a purchase - a Christmas present for Isaac, thinking that I would purchased it (or something like it) for him anyway a few months from now.
This evening as I pull out of the parking garage, I'm confident that I won't have to pay a thing. Wrong. The attendant tells me I owe $12. What?
"But I have a validation" says I.
"That's only good for 3 hours" says she. Oh. Would have been nice to have known that before I parked here six hours ago.
The amount of money in my wallet = $7. Do they take debit cards? Of course not. So now she has to fill out this form and I have to sign it basically agreeing to mail a check for $12 to the parking garage people. The worst part about this whole thing is that it was happening at 6:00 - when everyone and their brother is leaving work and wants to get out of the garage. Too bad they can't because I'm stuck at the attendant's booth with no money.
Arrgh! To make it even sadder, the Tigers lost to Seattle 5-4.
3 comments:
trust me amanda, i feel your pain about parking fees. when andy and I first moved to LA I think we spent $100 on parking in the first month b/c we didn't ever seem to read the signs correctly. i think they make it complicated to be devious and steal your money. the whole concept of paying to park annoys me, in fact my work takes $10 from every pay check ($20/month) to "allow me" to park...i'm paying them to come to work! arrrgh!
Look on the bright side- at least you got some Christmas shopping done!
They could have at least won...sheesh.
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