Time: Thursday, 9:45 am
I am, at this moment, experiencing a fascinating phenomenon: the alternate-side-of-the-street parking game in NYC.
I'm in Queens, staying at my mom's, and as I got in late on a Wednesday, there were only parking spaces available on the Thursday side of the street, meaning that on Thursday mornings, you have to move your car so they can clean that side of the street. Luckily though, I was on the right block of the Thursday side so I didn't have to move my car until the civilised hour of 9:30 am.
So I dutifully troop out at 9:20 and begin cruising for spaces on the Friday side. Still no parking. And I realize as I'm endlessly circling that there are cars on some blocks of the Thursday side, even though the time restriction is still in place until 10am. And then I notice that someone is sitting in every car, ready to move at a moment's notice when the street sweeper or meter maid comes along as the taboo time is nearing its end. What to do but join them?
And when the sweeper does, in fact, come along, we signal to each other with the start of engines and the flash of headlights and parade around to the next likely Thursday side. Where I now sit waiting for the block's-worth of drivers to exit their vehicles, in synchrony, precisely at 10am.
1 comment:
That is fascinating! I've never lived anyplace that was well enough organized to be so carefully timed; when the street sweeping no-parking times are 8am-3pm you can't really juggle like that to wait it out. I'm amazed at the implication that the parade happens every (N) week(s).
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