i swear the bus driver was grinning

today started out great: woke up early, it was a beautiful day so i rode my bike to work. "it's early, i should try that secret parking spot i noticed last week" i thought, "it's right acrost from the office so i wouldn't have to walk the three blocks to get to work". i parked my bike and double checked the no-parking signs. they're always confusing... but after a minute of reading i believed myself to be safe. i looked both ways before crossing the street, there's a bus coming but i've got plenty of room to run.

so i ran across the street, red biker jacket, black chaps, harley boots, ipod in pocket. i felt something happen as i'm about to reach the curb, but there's a bus coming so i don't stop to look back until i'm safely there. oh damn. just like in the movies. slow motion. a distinct decision tree forms in my mind. choose your own adventure:

1) stand there and watch. hope the tires of the bus miss your iPod.
2) run into the street, look death in the face and snatch your iPod out from in front of the bus. risk your life for $400.

i stood transfixed on my favorite toy, silently praying the four sets of tires would miss. although i didn't look up at the driver, i could feel his grin. iPod all borken and bent out of shape. (pictures here) ebay: slightly used ipod (like new)...

whatever. it's still a good day (i got a sweet parking spot) so i'm working, and decide to show off my sweet parking job to a fellow bike-riding coworker. we walk to the windows and i point to my bike, sandwiched between a DPT scooter and a towtruck. damn.

i've never ran so fast. the elevator has never been so slow. it was too late, the bike was already up on the truck and he wasn't going to give me a ride to the impound lot. choose your own adventure:

1) freak out and try to get your bike down. punch the guy and pull the levers. note the meter maid is behind you... you'll probably also have to take her out. she's already wrote you a parking ticket, so you'll need to steal her little scanner so they won't be able to track you down.
2) hail a taxi and get to say "follow that towtruck"

i got to the police station on 7th and bryant before they had "registered" my bike... so i had to wait a while until it showed up on their computers. an hour and $181 later i'm back at the office. time for a soda.

Posted by skp at março 15, 2004 10:13 AM | TrackBack