So, this is my sad little story, full of pathetic villians and miserable heroes, the kind of tale that could pass for high art these days.

I left work at Brycies, filled with visions of my upcoming fun-filled weekend, hiking and camping in the William O. Douglas Wilderness. I was headed over to my brother's apartment, to pick up a day pack. It was a beautiful evening, a nearly full moon, a pleasant breeze and I was enjoying every minute of it, windows rolled down, preparing for the type of outdoor outing that lifelong stories are made of.... Little did I know, that I was about to experience a side of the city life that create stories of their own, stories that start with a grimace or a muttered curse.

I visited with my brother, and he loaned me his day pack, and I sat and we talked, together we made fun of bad TV. I bid him 'Adieu', and went to leave, to find my vehicle hoisted up on a tow truck.

A tow truck. I thought... "What have I done?" as I raced towards the man prepping my vehicle for removal. You see, it seems that I had failed to get a parking permit, and so now my vehicle was to be towed, unless of course I had $150. And with that, a sort of bizarre and nonsensical journey, the kind that we seem to accept here in the city, began.

I will dispense with my poetic attempts to give you the particulars.

You see, I had failed to notice a little sign, barely 10 inches square, that said "Parking by permit only, all others will be towed at owner's risk and expense". Why did I miss it, I don't know, maybe since it was right under the speed limit sign, practically blending in. Maybe I missed it, because I could never imagine needing a permit to park to visit my brother. But, missed I did, and this made for an interesting evening, the police dispatcher telling me that I had no recourse, the tow truck driver issuing rationalizations, minimizations and justifications.

And after it all, I was left with the question, how was I supposed to get a permit to park, to see my brother, at 9:30pm at night, anyway. In other words, how could I abide by their rules and conditions?

What is the moral of my story? I don't know....

Maybe it should be... If you see a Recovery Masters sign, Flee!

Or how about... Don't visit people at the Fairwood Apartments, it will cost you!

Or maybe something oriental like.... "Man with head in clouds, no see doo doo he stepping in."

Anyway, I guess I should give a nod to the Fates, since, as I was biking home on the bike my other brother loaned me, with money my day pack owning brother loaned me to get my vehicle out of impound, I found $20 on a street corner.

Which leaves me wondering, where is the other $130 gonna come from?

PS: If you visit the sandwich shop I work at, and you happen to have come by some money you don't need for anything else, say like, if you found it laying on the sidewalk, drop a little of it in my tip jar, I still have to finance my trip to visit the William O. Douglas Wilderness.

• Location: CdA
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