That Will be 50 Dollars

The hotel we stayed at this week has self-pay parking and when you have a room, they add it to your key card and you can use that to get in and out of the lot.  When we were leaving the hotel Thursday at 5:45 a.m. to drive to the airport, we had already checked out and I gave the front desk my key.

Well, of course we couldn't get out.  I tried pushing the "Push for Assistance" button and was connected to the hold music and no one every answered.  I tried pushing the Lost Receipt button.  The machine's response?  "Fifty dollars, please." I think not.  At least it was polite.  Luckily another guy came up to the gate at that point and we used his card to get out.  Turns out he works there.  Whatever.  This, by the way, is not the first time I've tangled with a parking garage "attendant." 

Revenge of the Parking Card

There are four of us here this week and we are sharing one car. At this hotel, you can have the parking added to your bill and they give you a card to get in and out. I've never had a problem with this, other than the week they deactivated it early. Til now. We have no problem getting in the garage but getting out is very trying.

There are two unattended gates that you can go out, but one is closed right now because part of the street is closed. The first day we went to leave, the card goes in and out about four times, then spits out without opening the gate. I try this a couple times. Nothing. Someone goes inside to get a new key. Try again. Same thing. Someone pulls in behind us. We tell her to back up so we can get out of the way. She says if you push the help button, they'll let you out.

Now my last experience with pushing the button was after my credit card got stuck, before I knew I could add it to my hotel bill. That took 20 minutes for them to come and I was stuck blocking the lane the whole time, and it was about 3 degrees. So I was not enthusiastic about the button pushing.

Operator: "Hello?"
Me: "Hello - my card is not working."
Operator: "Hello?"
Me: "Yes, hello, my card is not working?"
Operator: "What?"
Me: "My CARD IS NOT WORKING."
Operator: "On the machine there is a little picture of how to put it in. You must be putting it in wrong."
Me: "Umm, no, I'm not. I've tried it several times, and I've done this about 60 times this year."
Operator: "Try the other machine."
Me: "I can't - it's closed."
Operator: "Oh yeah."
Me: Pregnant pause. "So what do I do?"
Operator: "I can't do nothin'. You gotta get a new key."
Me: "We did that. It doesn't work either."
Operator: "We're not affiliated with the hotel so I can't help you."
Me: "So there is no way for us to get out?"
Operator: "I'll look and see if you've paid for the parking. What room are you in?"
Me: "701."
Operator: "What?"
Me: "701!"
Operator: "It shows you're paid through the 2nd."
Me: So you aren't affiliated with the hotel but you can see my bill?? "So can you help us?"
Operator: after not talking for a minute. "I guess I can let you out this time... What's the number of the machine?"
Me: "24."
Operator: "What?"
Me: "24!"
Me: "Thanks" and we drove off.

Fast forward one day. Key goes in and out, gate doesn't open. We try it again. It doesn't work. We back up again. Somebody goes to get a new key. Same thing. I try three more times. On the third time it works. I can hardly wait until tomorrow!

Oh, and in case you are curious... Today, July 1, the high temperature here was 63 degrees!

Shoulda Brought the Buick

Thursday night I got back to the airport and got on the shuttle. The bus driver drops someone off way at the end of row 10. I am parked about 10 cars down so I figured I would be next. Then the driver takes off down to the front end of the row.

Most drivers will call out the type of car that it is and the person who owns the car gets out. So he pulls up to this car and says "Buick......Buick?" Nobody moves. Everybody in the bus looks at each other. "Buick...," he says again and drives off. It was a bit of a Ferris Bueller moment. So then he takes off for a different row and I realize he must have the number wrong and the "Buick" is my car. So I have to yell up to him that he skipped my car, that it was not a Buick, and it was clear at the other end.

He never said why he messed it up, but he did take me to my car.