Committed to the City

Earlier this week in my ongoing battle with San Francisco city parking, I heard my phone alarm sounding. I flipped the phone open and read the alarm title: "Move the car!!" I silenced the alarm and moved the parked car from one side of the street to the other. I found a spot in between two driveways. I pulled the parking break into gear, checked that I was close to the curb, locked the doors and returned to the house to finish getting ready for work. I thought it was fine that the tail end of my car obstructed the driveway by few inches since the driveway was so wide and the steering wheel of the car parked in the garage could have easily been turned 20 degrees to move around my car.

After my dinner shift at the restaurant I rode the Muni home. I stepped out of the rail car and glanced in the direction where I had parked. When I didnt see the car, I hoped that my memory of my most recent parking location had failed me. I hoped that I confused this spot with the place I had parked last . I hoped it was stolen rather than towed because I knew it would be expensive to get it back. I told myself I would worry about it in the morning.

In the morning I called the city parking and transportation department. Sure enough they had the car at the impound lot. (This is an all too common occurrence in the city.) When I asked, "how much will it cost me to retrieve the car?" The woman on the phone replied "That will be three hundred and seventy three dollars maám" My face went blank and I stuttered a response asking if the woman was serious. She was serious.

I intended on selling the car after getting settled here, and this was the catalyst for me to do so. Immediately following the phone call I posted it for sale on Craig's list. I couldn't deal with this and I immediately wanted to be rid of the burden of owning a car in the city. Within 10 minutes my phone was ringing with interest and inquiries in the advertisement.

When I went to pick up the car at the impound lot, I took a number and waited my turn. The woman behind the glass partition called my number. She took my information and hacked at the keyboard with her long hot pink finger nails. With her eyes fixed on the computer screen, she said "The total is three hundred and seventy three dollars" I turned my head away, eyes squinted shut, and slid my American Express card across the counter bracing myself for the impact as I heard it being swiped.

The car was sold to the first person who looked at it. I am relieved to be free of worry about parking spots, tickets, towing, insurance payments, gas and so on. The sale of the car solidified my official commitment to the city and my decision to live here. Its a big step for a comitma-a-phobic person such as myself. It feels strange not to have a car since I have consistently had a car for the last 10 years, and yet its wonderfully liberating! I traded my car keys for an unlimited pass on the Muni. I am officially an urban dweller!!