I had a meeting in the city recently and could not find a car park to save myself. I found myself circling the same block over and over, and over again. I was late, and in a hurry. As I rounded a familiar corner for what felt like the tenth time a man part way down the road ahead waved at me. I pulled up to wind my window down. ‘Here, you can have my parking spot. I still have a few hours left on this ticket.’ He handed me the ticket with a look of genuine goodwill and went about his day.
Relief! I could feel my grin ear to ear. I reverse parked into what I was convinced was the only vacant parking spot at that moment in the city. I thrust the second-hand ticket marked ‘pay and display’ on the dashboard, gathered my things, shut and locked my car, and turned on my heels to head up the road in the general direction of my meeting.
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