JUNE 15TH, 2009 - TODAY'S PARKING TALE BY PAT

This morning I trudged down to the parking lot in the insufferable heat for today's parking negotiation. They are calling for record heat today. The streets are steamy from their morning bath. I curse the absurdity of this parking ritual. I am hoping to see a familiar face at the parking lot so I do not have to start all over again. No such luck. I enter the parking lot and see a yellow card on the van. "See attendant" it says. The van has been called for an infraction. In the tiny attendant booth is a black lady. Unlike her predecessors, she is not sitting in the sun on a milk crate and smoking a cigarette, so I am hopeful this will be easier. Maybe she is the brains of the outfit.

"I need to pay you for the van today."

"All day?"

"Yes."

"That will be $60."

"Actually, I want to pay you for 12 hours twice."

"You can't do that."

"The guy did it yesterday."

"For real?"

"Yes."

"He wasn't supposed to."

"Does anyone pay $60?"

"No."

Well, that at least confirms my suspicion that anyone drunk enough to pay $60 for one day's parking would be too drunk to drive here in the first place. I try several ways of talking her into taking two 12 hour payments now to spare me the afternoon walk back through the New Orleans heat merely to hand her what I can hand her now. She will not take the money. It seems that to do so would be punishable by death, or at least termination. I hand her a twenty .

She says "Today it is only $5 for 12 hours." Then she hands me back a ten.

"What about the other $5 in change?"

"Late penalty" she says. The price of the yellow card on the windshield. She gives me an idea though.

"What if I don't come back this afternoon? What if I just come in the morning?"

"What time in the morning?"

"7 or 7:30."

"Ten dollars- five and five" she laughs.

"Then I will see you tomorrow." Or I will see someone.

Tomorrow is a new day and a new deal.