A Letter

[kragore]

Last night I attended a showing of Warren Miller's "Dynasty" at the Hanover Theater. When choosing where to park, rather than pay to park in the theater lot or the garage, I figured I was young and could walk a ways, and chose to park further down the street in the Social Security lot.
I did notice upon pulling in that there was a sign that said "2 hours max". The movie started at 8 and ended at 10, so I was only going to be there for two hours anyway. As all the business in the building were long closed for the day, I would be inconviencing no one.
Imagine my surprise, panic and fear when I walked out (of what was a terrific show,) to find my car missing. Mine, along with 17 other vehicles.

I am a single female. I have no family in the area. I have embraced the digital age and and do not carry cash.
At this point, they couldn't even tell me if my car was in Worcester or if it had been towed to Auburn. With no cash, that meant no cab, and one very long, nerve wracking walk up Southbridge Street to find out where my car really was.

I'm no shirking violet, but at this point, my car was gone, it was fast switching from rain to snow and back again, it was now about 10:30 at night. I could do nothing but walk up Southbridge to the impound lot and hope.

Upon my arrival at the lot, I was relieved to know that they did have my car. I was fianlly able to get a hold of a friend to come down from Maynard to help me. It was now about 10:50. I wouldn't get home until well after 12.

One of the other movie attendees came to claim their car, and that's when I learned that the Hanover is feuding with the owner of the Social Security lot about being able to pay to park patrons there.

I don't care about what political infighting is going on in your city. I do know I'm out well over $100 because someone's playing power games - power games that had the potential to put me in very real danger.

For all that Worcester's been trying to clean up their image, last night one of it's business people shot it in the foot. I will never patronize the business accociated with that lot, and if I didn't already have tickets to another show at the Hanover in December, it would be a very long time before I patonized your city again.

I hope this stunt was worth it.
- K.

Comments

[cointeach.livejournal.com]

FUCKERS.

Ugh, I am SO sorry that you got caught up in that shit! :(

[kragore.livejournal.com]

I am Bullshit. It takes a lot to shake me, but taking my car will apparently do it.
After I cool off, I will likely rewrite this and sent it to all of the above, including Sate Reps, local Pols and the local papers.

The ONLY shining moment of all of this was the tow truck dude, actually. He showed up and stayed there with me (once I got there) and let me sit in the big nice warm truck and waited for the Hero, DarthGM, (for whom I will make dinosaur papncakes tonight) to show up with my bail money. I couldn't bring myself to be angry at Tow Truck Dude, he was just doing his job.

Infuriating night that completely overshadowed the really good show I went to see.

[orionsmom.livejournal.com]

This goes on my list of reasons I got out of Worcester as quickly as possible.

It truly is the armpit of hell and hard to find a smiling face in the whole city.

Seriously uncool. I'm just glad you got out of it safe and more or less intact.

[motomuffin.livejournal.com]

All the theater had to do was put up a sign warning about parking in the Social Security lot, since most city dwellers would figure an office parking lot is just fine to park in at night, when you're not inconveniencing anyone else. Bad moves all around.

No ATMs around?

[kragore.livejournal.com]

None in the direction I was walking, which seemed to include a disproportionate number of big dark overpasses and abandoned scrapyards.

[medievalbooks.livejournal.com]

email me at bookshop@charter.net

I want to give you kendrick's and my phone numbers if you should ever have a problem in our area again.

[kragore.livejournal.com]

I have your #, actually, it was just a matter of running down the list of numbers and balancing:
physical distance (real family and most of clann disqualified)
vs morning responsibilities (anyone with kids disqualified)
vs ability to float me $100+ (friends who are unemployed disqualified)
vs who I wanted to drag out of bed at 10:30 (all of you disqualified, ranking oldest to youngest.)

Meh. All's well that ends well, but I had other things I really wanted to do with that $100+.

[wyldehunt.livejournal.com]

No one walked you to your car? At 2200? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?! Ok, I understand, gender equality and the like, but there were no male friends around to walk you to your car? Maybe I'm being an asshole knuckledragger here, and maybe you declined any proffered assistance, I don't know. But Worcester, a place you mentioned as being not the best place in the world to me...

/rantoff

I'm just glad you are safe.

[kragore.livejournal.com]

*shrug* no one went with me.

[wyldehunt.livejournal.com]

My mistake. I thought you had attended with a small group of friends.

[redfishie.livejournal.com]

that's maddening - glad it ended alright.