Well, things have been very stressful around the Murphy house as of late. Boyd has been very busy at work (inventory and graduation) and I should be studying for finals, but I had a massive article to work on which I needed to get off of my plate. (Just a second ago I spelled of "ov." Obviously I need help or therapy!) Anyway, Friday was the culmination for me of just how bad things could get. I worked on my article all day, went to class and then worked on my article until about 9:00 pm at school. Most of the day I was in a bad mood and freaking out about when I would study for finals. I had just finished checking the footnotes and Boyd called to tell me that he was ready to be picked up. So I packed up and walked out to my car.
Let me preface the rest of the story by giving you background info: At the beginning of this year and during my first year of law school, I parked in a lot about two blocks away from school. You have to fold up your dollars and put them in the numbered slot that corresponds with the spot that you parked it (usually I obsessively park in even numbered slots, but that's another story for another day). Anyway I stopped parking in this lot because they raised their rate from $2 a day to $3 a day. What, its only a dollar, you say? Well, the school has two lots also about 2 blocks from the school (in a different direction) that are $2/day. $3 was a 50% rate hike, too rich for my blood. So I have been parking in the student lot for most of the semester.
On Friday when I got to school, both of the $2 student lots were full...FULL! So, it was between the $3 lot or the $5 garage. Having already explained that a $1 rate hike was too much to pay, it is likely obvious that I wouldn't want to fork over an extra $3 to park in the garage (unless I am wearing a suit, but let's not get sidetracked). So I found my old lot, with the $3 rate pleasantly empty with plenty of even numbered spots. I pulled into spot #14. Got out my $3 folded them and put them in slot #14 and went to school.
NOW it is 9:15 PM, it is dark, it is downtown houston and there is no Rockets game to keep the homeless people away or at least not bothering me. I walk to the car, on my phone with Boyd because I am scared, with my keys gripped in my hands so I can stab any would be accoster with it either in the eye or in the soft spot of flesh right below the ear. (Yes, I have thought about it! Thanks, Mom and Dad for teaching me to be aware of my surroundings). I get to my car and WHAT THE?????? MY CAR HAS BEEN BOOTED WITH AN ORANGE BOOT AND AN ORANGE STICKER STUCK TO MY DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW SAYING TO CALL THIS NUMBER AND I HAVE TO PAY $100 TO GET THE BOOT REMOVED!!!!!!!! This was the straw that broke the camel's back. Here I am in a dark parking lot in downtown houston boohooing and yelling on the phone that I did pay to park here...I did!!!!!! Boyd can't come and get me because I was supposed to come and get him. So I call Emily, still crying and she says that she will come and get me right now! Then I call this number so I can get the boot removed. The lady on the phone was mean to me. It should have been obvious that I was in distress and was not at that point moving on to the anger stage...but she pushed me there. So I call. I go immediately to being on hold and then am disconnected. I call back, immediately put on hold and then finally a person comes on and she asks me make, model, year and color of my car. I tell her. She asks me where I parked. "Umm in your lot." She asks on what street. (I am horrible with streets in downtown, I know where to go I just don't know what they are called.) "I know one of the near cross streets is Caroline." In a testy tone, "Caroline and what??" I tell her I don't know and she asks if I want to call her back when I know. I say "NO, I don't want to call you back when I know" (I'm crying again at this point) and I ask "don't you know where your lots are?" She told me not to take that tone with her and then put me on hold, where I was disconnected again!!! WHAT!?!? (I mean you are about to make $100 off me, at least you should know where the lots are when I tell you a close proximity and make, model, year, and color of my car!). So I call Boyd and tell him what happened and then call the company back. This time I get a lady, who asks me if I am in Georgia or Texas! (ummmm-to my self) "Texas." What city? Houston, downtown. Again I tell her make, model and year and she tells me that someone will be there in 20 minutes. (I did not have to tell her any streets either!!!!) I did ask her what I had to pay with if i needed cash or what. She DIDN'T KNOW!!! How can you not know???? Luckily my school has an ATM machine and also luckily I had $100 in my account!
I call Boyd back, but I don't know what to do because I am not waiting in a dim parking lot for 20 minutes by myself in downtown at night! Not a chance. So I wait near the school for Emily to show up. She gets there and I tell her we might have to wait, but she has a movie at 10:30. We drive over to the lot and the boot guy is already there with a woman who was also booted. This might be a good time to mention that 5 other cars were also booted!!!!! She was angry and swore that she put money in. He had a video camera and stuck it in her face and said see...NO MONEY. I thought to my self, he better not stick that thing in my face...he will be sorry. She continues promising that she did put money in the slot. He asks if I was the one that called dispatch, I said yes and that I also put money in the slot when I parked around 12:30. He told me that I might be a different story and makes a phone call. 5 minutes later he said that the guy that checked the lot before him marked the tires in a different place than usual so it was all his mistake! AAAAAAAAAARH!!!!! All of this for nothing. He takes the boot off and is like, well umm sorry! Sorry!???? SORRY!!!! You just commited the tort of conversion, dummy!!!!!! My husband is waiting on me and I am starving and almost had to pay you $100!!!!!!!!!!!! (I kept it to myself). I also asked if he had anything to do with dispatch because they were rude and I was obviously in distress, his answer: You have to understand that they get lots of angry calls and just get jaded. (again to myself: SO?!? You have to understand how to do your job and look real good for chalk marks and not boot people who paid for their parking!) This was a futile conversation.
So I hugged Emily, told her sorry and thank you over and over and got in my car and drove away. With my $100 still in my pocket. I still cried for like 5 minutes because it was so scary and stressful and I needed a release after that day! Also I had a really bad headache!
Blessings:
1. A Patient Husband who knows how to deal with his boohooing/angry/stressed out wife.
2. An awesome friend, who dropped what she was doing to come rescue me! Thanks, Em.
3. That I had enough money in my account.
4. That my school has an ATM machine.
5. That I have a cell phone.
6. That I didn't actually have to pay $100
7. That I learned my lesson and will either pay $2 or $5 so I never park in that lot again.
8. That I can take 3 Advil when my head really hurts.
