Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Parking Garage 500

I went up to Tampa General today to visit. The visit went well but getting home was a road rage test that I don't know how I got through. When I got to the hospital the garage was just packed with cars. I even joked around and told Lauren that I thought my nose was bleeding from being on the 7th floor of the garage. Well somewhere along my journey up I crossed into the employee side of the garage. When I followed the 1000 exit signs on my way down they led to a booth-less gate. I pulled up to it, nothing happened. Looked up and saw a Sunpass looking thing on the roof. So I screamed a few cuss words at my windshield. I drove up and down that garage for twenty or so minutes looking for this sacred cross over. I kept seeing where I needed to be but couldn't figure out how to get to it. Up and down, up and down, and always ended up at the same gate with the same BMW parked next to it just staring at me. Mocking me. I imagine the security guards watching on the camera were in tears laughing at this point. I found a guy painting one of the elevators and asked him how the hell I get out of this place. He says "I was afraid you were gonna say that." He explained to me that somehow I got into the employee parking garage. He told me he didn't know how to get back to the other side but showed me that the yellow poles sticking out of the ground were flimsy plastic and could be easily run over. As I'm leaving a guy in a truck pulls up to the painter and says, I think I have the same question he has. I laughed a little. I took one more trip up to the 7th floor and found a spot that looked like it should have yellow poles sticking up so I drove through it thinking I was home free. All the way down, 14 u-turns, I'm outta here! NOPE! Freaking BMW with a gate. Oh my god. I tell my windshield what I think of this situation again. I go up one level and just drive right over the yellow poles. It took me 32 minutes to exit a parking garage. I never thought I'd see the day where a parking garage would make me want to go have a beer. So, if you make your way into Tampa General parking garage, be wary of what side you're on.

2 comments:

Joshua Green said...

ROFLMAO! Sorry the highlight of my day is the epitome of yours - but that is funny! We were glad you came, for a couple of reasons :)

Perno said...

LOL nice job Lee, glad to hear you made it out alive.