Perhaps This Was Bound To Happen

So let me get this right, Chicago. I find an illegal spot to park, loaded with clearly marked No Parking signs. And what do you do? You turn the other cheek. You throw caution to the wind and for six glorious months, you tell me that all is forgiven. No guilt, no regrets.

And this morning? I find a spot a half a block away, no signs anywhere, and I park. And in the afternoon, when I go back… Chicago, what in the hell did you do to my car?

A few days ago, Justin told me about a new spot near work. There’s a $5 lot hidden down a side street (whereas most of the other nearby lots are $7-8). He’s been parking on Des Plaines, right across from Blommer’s Chocolate Factory), between Hubbard and Kinzie. For the past four days he’s been there, no hassles. Today, he worked from home for most of the day, and came in around 4. When I told him I tried out the new spot, he mentioned that he “saw no other cars.”

We walk back to the spot, me worried about my car and Justin worried (since he’s driving Stu’s car while he’s gone). Justin’s car is parked exactly where mine was, when I left it this morning. Long story short, it took me until about 7:30 PM before I learned what happened to my car. At home, I found my VIN, called the approrpiate lot and there was no record. I try using the automated feature. No car.

Finally, as I’m talking to the police to file a stole vehicle report, they tell me it’s been towed. I get a different number for a different lot, and once I give them $160 tomorrow morning, I get the car back.