Monday, July 16, 2007

On parking mores

We were parking in Manhattan:

S. (at the wheel): I can't park yet! These people are coming up right on my butt before they go around! That would never happen in Philly.

A.: Sometimes it happens in Philly.

S.: That people keep coming up right behind you so you can't back up? No. They wait farther back.

A.: Sometimes they go around.

S.: Only if there are two full lanes. And they just don't come this close. Because they think you might have a gun.

A.: Well, you MIGHT.

S.: See? You're a good Philadelphian.

3 comments:

Magpie said...

Once upon a time I had a car that I parked on the streets of Manhattan. So she had to be moved a couple of times a week. And I used to make the rounds singing "all I want is a parking spot" to the My Fair Lady tune "all I want is a room somewhere".

None said...

That reminds me of when I wanted to go to Philly for a concert one night. I'd already bought my ticket.

My grandmom didn't want me to go. Why? "Someone is always getting shot in Philadelphia," she insisted. She offered to buy my ticket off so I wouldn't go. She kept insisting that going to Philly meant getting shot.

That's your experience of Philly when you live in Trenton, I guess. It's that place with all the shootings and rowhouse fires. Thank you, Action News.

S. said...

Magpie, this was a sweetheart of a parking place like you wouldn't believe.

Co, unfortunately, that has recently been your experience of Philly when you live in Philly. The city has had an intense wave of gun violence the past few years. (Mostly of the kind that middle-class white folk feel comfortable ignoring.)