Confessions of A Working Girl

First, a random note: My friend Paige has been reading this, and she says that she’d prefer to be referred to as ‘Sugar’. I don’t know if I’ll remember to do that, but if I do, it will at least be understood that ‘Sugar’ and ‘Paige’ are one and the same.

Anyway, confession five begins with a warning. All those signs that are in store parking lots that say ‘customer parking only’? They mean it. They really do. I’m still not quite sure how they knew that Paige and I weren’t customers of that particular store but… eh…I think I’m getting ahead of myself, let me backtrack a little.

I needed to go visit the Japanese and Spanish consulates in Boston. The Japanese consulate to double check that I can get a Japanese visa from Spain (which reminds me, I need to finish that paperwork) and the Spanish consulate to see about getting a visa. (Their site is really confusing.) Anyway, I didn’t really want to go by myself, so I asked Paige if she wanted to come with me. Also, that way I could see Paige before she goes to China (which she is doing Friday. Have fun in China, Paige/Sugar!)

Anyway, I made sure that I had directions, and decided that we should take the T into Boston from the Braintree station (an hour or so from my house). The first problem was that the Braintree station parking lot was full. So we went across the street to what seemed to be an outlet mall—there was a KMart, a petstore, staples, a sports store, Borders…etc… I didn’t park at Borders because I saw the sign that said customer parking only. But I parked a few aisles over, in front of the sports store. I guess I didn’t look too closely…I must not have noticed the sign that said ‘customer parking only’ that was posted on the light. Or maybe I saw it and figured that a few hours couldn’t hurt…and we could always go into the store when we came back, which would technically make us customers.

So we took the train into Boston. The Japanese consulate we found almost right away. The building was huge! Before allowing us to enter, the guards at the front took our licenses and issued us passes that stated where we were going and what time we got there. The consulate was on the 22nd floor. It was a quick visit–they said that as long as I had my certificate of eligibility it should be fine. Then, when I asked, they gave me the addresses and phone numbers of the Japanese consulates in Spain.

The Spanish consulate was a little harder to find–and a few blocks away. Again they took our licenses to look at, but in this building, they didn’t give passes. The Spanish consulate was on the ninth floor. This time we had to wait a little–whereas the Japanese consulate had been practically empty, the Spanish consulate had about ten people waiting. When it was my turn, the lady said that I have to make an appointment online. She copied directions on how to do that and gave them to me. She also gave me the visa application, and a list of what I needed in order to obtain the visa.

Paige and I had a quick lunch, then got back on the T. All was going good…until we walked back to the parking lot and couldn’t find my car. After searching for a little, we decided that, unfortunately, my car must have been towed. Paige went into the Sports store–while I waited for a policeman to finish what he was doing so that I could ask him if any cars had been towed today.

Paige got the number of the tow truck place, and I called them. I suppose I was a little, teensy bit rude…when the guy said that yes, my car (Coche, the purple car that was my dad’s) had been towed and for me to come to this address, I asked “How?” It turns out that this was the best towing company in Braintree to be towing my car. (Not that I wanted to get my car towed, but…) First, they sent someone to pick us up to bring us to the tow truck place where my car was. Second, they said that they were the only tow truck company in Braintree that accepted credit cards.

Apparently, an awful lot of people that took the T, or went golfing or whatever leave their cars there, and so the businesses get annoyed. Therefore the businesses made a deal with the towing company so that they would tow any cars that weren’t customers. What I still want to know is how they knew that we weren’t customers…a lot of people park in front of one store, walk around, then go to the store they parked in front of at the end.

Well…when I go back into Boston, I won’t be going in from the Braintree Station.

1 Comment » Dad:

June 2nd, 2010 @ 8:32 pm SUE THE SOB NAZI BASTARDS !!