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

[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.