The parking game
The odd risk is good for the spirit. This morning, I decided to go into the city to buy a kilo of our favourite consumer drug (coffee), carefully ground to my exacting standards by Barista. At least, I think that was her name; when you go to the coffee store at fortnight intervals, it’s rare that you establish a first-name rapport. But back to taking a risk. In the old city, cars are not welcome, and finding a parking spot comes down to chance. I spotted a vacant meter on a side street, dropped my coin in the slot and registered no change.
You see, the city has this game, where a client pays to park, but if the meter is broken you get a ticket ANYWAY. You can request that your coins be returned, but claiming that you deposited more than the cost of the ticket ($40) is apt to elicit open laughter in the courthouse. I can’t help but wonder if the city doesn’t err on the side of easy money. This time around, my gamble paid off: 25 cents for 9 minutes of parking (stressful parking).
This afternoon was devoted to university football, with the Rouge et Or facing the Queens Golden Gaels on a roughened field in Kingston. Thanks to the wonders of modern television, I had a much better seat than if I had travelled west. Alas, although the game was great, well-played, competitive and all the other descriptors that come to mind, it was also a loss for Laval. THREE POINTS!!! The Vanier Cup, next weekend, without the home team. That’s just wrong.
