THE AMATEUR PARKER … LosingMyMind, AndMyCar BY MELISSA BEAN STERZICK


spend a few hours on a therapist’s couch instead of behind the wheel running my various errands, check- ing important, slightly important and useless tasks off my list.


T There are times when I


know I should just be in bed with a recording of whale songs in the background, instead of driving my car with the radio and my children blaring. My crazy days are like most people’s crazy days, and in the


hurry of hunting and gathering, the car is a vital tool. Finding parking is required for the completion of most of my tasks, whether going to the doctor’s office, meeting clients, buying gro-


HERE ARE DAYS WHEN I FEEL like a mental patient of sorts.Whether I am suffering from memory loss, sleep deprivation, depression, temporary insanity or otherwise, I would happily


ceries and so on.And because things are so hectic, it would be easy to lose my mind and my car on the same day. But keeping track of my car is one task I am always on top of. There are timeswhenmy own husband, themanwith the


internal map and compass in his head, does not know where we parked, but I always know. Findingmy car when I’mdone doing whatever it is I’ve done is a real priority for me. With the holidays


My car cost a lot more than my wedding ring, and I always know where that is, too.


approaching, I might be eating my words with a huge scoop of spinach dip, but I hope to keep a cool head. And if I do all my holiday shopping online, I will avoid the risk of melt- down entirely.


Stress is more likely to prevent me from sleeping or


make me extra clumsy, bumping into and dropping things all day long. Mental upset of the temporary kind, caused by a number of people – including grouchy children, workaholic husbands and sarcastic siblings – can cause me to be forgetful. In my distress, I’ve left the garage door open all night,


neglected a washer full of wet laundry for several days, emp- tied dirty dishes out of the dishwasher and into my cup- boards, and even forgotten to pay my phone bill. But I always know where I left my car. Think about it:


My car cost a lot more than my wedding ring, and I always know where that is, too. There are just certain things I refuse to lose. My car lost itself once, years ago. I parked it in front of


the office at my new apartment complex and returned the next morning to find an empty stall. For a moment, I was sure it had been stolen, but logic trumpeted the obvious fact that no one steals ancient Honda Civic hatchbacks – a vehi- cle they don’t evenmake anymore – butwhichwasmore than good enough for a totally broke college student like me. It turned out I was required to purchase a parking stick-


er the moment I initiated my lease, a detail no one bothered to mention, and without which my car was mercilessly towed and held for ransom. I’m still bitter about that dodgy towing company, but have never got around to discussing it with a therapist. Even more vivid is the memory of my absolute confu-


sion – knowing without a doubt that this was the spot where I had left my car – and it was gone. I’m sure I scratched my head. I know I walked in circles, looked around wildly, thought about calling for help and went through all the stages of manic depression in a matter of seconds: disbelief, panic, incomprehension, heavy negotiation and resignation. ... One day, years later, I came across an individual who


had lost his car in a way that was not only dangerous but also heart wrenching. Outside a local department store, I noticed a clearly upset elderlyman pacing the long aisles of the park- ing lot. I observed and then could no longer just observe, so I asked himwhat was wrong. He said he could not find his car


38 DECEMBER 2009 • PARKING TODAY • www.parkingtoday.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52