NY Parking

[ellenkushner]

So we got back from Massachusetts about an hour ago, and I figured I'd park the rented car on Riverside Drive & return it to Enterprise tomorrow, since it costs the same. But the Drive, usually very reliable for last-minute on-street parking, has signs tied to every tree (I'm not making this up!) saying "No Parking on Weds." by order of the NYPD - I suspect this may be for the Firemen's Memorial, which has an annual October ceremony to honor those who died in the past year in the line of duty. (I happened to see it last year - well, you couldn't miss it, the whole street closed off - with those who had failed to move their cars weeping gently when they saw they'd been towed - and ranks upon ranks of uniformed firefighters lined up along the empty street (and stopping at various apt bldgs to ask the doormen if they could use the loo) and speeches in front of the fountain - very beautiful and moving. The NYTimes offers a slideshow of the fountain itself.)

So I headed down to W. 83rd to return the car, only to look closely at the form at a red light and realize that it was open til 9 pm on Sundays only; it had closed an hour ago. Drove slowly away, called the apt and made Delia call the police to find out what time I had to get the car off RSD by (midnight) - Delia ordered me to park it in a garage overnight (aggggh!! $$$ on top of rental!!) but then found huge spot on W. 92nd, parallel parked with some difficulty as I am brilliant on the right but lousy on the left - and for reasons known only to Heaven the rental folks gave us a smallish SUV instead of a regular car when I showed up (it was the only one they had ready. Turned out to be a Very Good Thing as we were hauling many many boxes). It started to rain. Got out of car, looked at parking sign, which said "No Parking School Days 7 am - 4 pm" Well that explained why there was such a huge space still open. Sigh. Raining harder. Drove down to our street and - yipes!! HUGE space open just the other side of Broadway! Left side, gamely tried it, and . . . musical noises like late John Cage composition informed me that I was attempting to park the thing in the metal scaffolding that is up in front of every other Upper West Side building these days.

At which point, it happened: A guy tapped on my window: "Excuse me, miss, but I think you're really hurting your car. Can I help you?" Rangy young Latino in a hoodie & baseball cap. He essentially talked me out of the space, held up the long line of annoyed taxis stuck behind me while I got there, started talking me back into the space - and finally said with becoming reticence, "Do you want me to do it?"

"Yes," I said with no hesitation whatsoever. It was, after all, a rental car. If it was all an elaborate bait-and-switch which would end with a car-napping, I would simply explain to Enterprise that they needed to stay open later on weeknights.

He did it in 3 turns of the wheel. Maybe even 2. I tried to give him some dollars, he tried to refuse, I insisted because it was just so entirely kind of him. I hope he buys himself a nice beer. Or some flowers.

Meanwhile, the thunderstorm had begun in earnest. Did I mention it was raining? Scampered the blocks back to apt. like a wet rabbit, Delia toweled me off.

But I think I forgot to lock the car.

Comments

[coffeeem.livejournal.com]

This is a wunnerful story. Heeee!

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

You are possibly one of the bravest people I know. I can't imagine driving in Manhattan, even when I did have a car! And parallel parking? Wow!

::does the bowing, I'm-not-worthy thing::

;)

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Oh, how happy you make me! Truth to tell, I find driving in Manhattan to be far easier than in Boston! But we'll let that be our little secret, shall we?

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

Hee! I didn't drive in Boston either! The Red Line was my BFF. However, I am even more impressed!

[burgundy.livejournal.com]

Every time I'm in NYC, I think I'd rather chew off a limb than drive in Manhattan. But my parents, both native New Yorkers, say that they feel safer driving there than in Houston (where they live). They say that NYC drivers are aggressive, but there are rules; they'll yell at you and give you the finger and make like they're going to run you down, but they won't actually kill you. Whereas Houston drivers obey no laws known to man and won't stop at just threatening.

I believe them, but I'd still rather drive in Houston.

[wolfsilveroak.livejournal.com]

*adds something else to see in NYC while there this Dec*

Well it is a rental car after all...}:P

[nohwhere-man.livejournal.com]

Wonderful ending, but you might end up with -two- accordions in the back seat :-).

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

!!!

No fear. I just went back & locked the car. With an umbrella. (No, with a key, actually...)

[lisa-marli.livejournal.com]

Gahd, glad I'm not the only one who can't parallel park. I grew up in LA which has acres of parking lots, so who needs to parallel park? My husband laughs in my face, because he's a New Yorker and he knows how to parallel park. He claims that's because NYers are superior.
And here you are. And you can't either.
I am glad you found someone to help you (who wouldn't laugh in your face).
And why does it always rain when you have to park blocks away from home?
We will be in New Britain, CT hopefully with a car when we go to Mythcon next summer. I'm still debating where if any place we want to drive when we are there. I may have my NYer husband do it. He claims he can drive anywhere in New England. ;)

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

No, but listen, I can usually parallel park a fair treat! Comes from having had to park on the street for so long in Boston, where my apt in a gracious old Victorian had no parking. I just can't park a rented SUV in the rain in the dark on the lefthand side of the street! Honest.

Places to drive to near Mythcon? Howbout Mystic Seaport in Connecticut? It's a treat! I am also a huge fan of Plimoth Plantation in Mass., though that's a much longer drive.

[yaoi-in-exile.livejournal.com]

Wow, New Yorkers really *are* friendly! :3 What an adventure. But weren't you scared when some random person just tapped on your window from nowhere? ^^;

Louisville's city-run parking lots are called Riverside Parking. This pleases me to no end. *sips cocoa serenely*

[kestrelsparhawk.livejournal.com]

Coming out of lurkdom just to say -- days like that deserve timeturners.

Only then you would have missed the guardian angel in the hoodie.

[handworn.livejournal.com]

That's a really nice story.