So...I've been in my new place of work for the past two weeks and I thought I'd highlight one of the differences between my old work place and my new one:
Old workplace parking:
Free parking on streets outside. Have tantrum if have to park and walk more than five steps to the front gate. Circle block hoping someone parked closer will leave. Give up and park illegally, but triumphant only have to walk two steps to the front gate.
Free parking on streets outside. Have tantrum if have to park and walk more than five steps to the front gate. Circle block hoping someone parked closer will leave. Give up and park illegally, but triumphant only have to walk two steps to the front gate.
New workplace parking:
Three car parks, numerous levels and about six hundred billion car spots that all look identical.
I'm terrified of parking my car and never being able to find it again. So (very cleverly) I decided to always park in the same car park (the smallest one and away from the others), same level, around the same parking spot. As I start work at 8.30 each day this is quite easy to do. Then the day came that I needed to start late and finish late. As I was driving in I remembered hearing that my regular car park can fill up quickly in the morning and be full by 9.15.
Problem - I would have to park in one of the other (bigger) car parks. "Stop worrying" I thought. "It'll be fine!". Famous last words.
I drove into one of the entrances to one of the car parks, did one lap, then had the option to go to the next level OR go to the same level on the western car park, which looked as though I would be going into another parking structure entirely. So to be safe I continued up, doing laps, and trying to find an empty spot - FAIL! In a moment of panic I made the choice to go over to the west side. Bad Move. Still no vacant spots and by now I was completely disorientated (and dizzy). I did a few more laps, haphazardly going from east to west and at one point thought I was just doing circles of the same level. I was sure I kept seeing the same white Honda who had left their lights on. I wondered if I should tell someone about the lights left on, but quickly realised I had no time to worry about their battery -I had problems of my own.
When I finally saw daylight and realised I must be nearing the top, a few vacant spots started to appear and my panic started to subside. I finally screeched into one and sauntered nonchalantly to the lifts. By this stage I was a trifle worried that I would never see my beloved car again, so I took a photo of the sign by the lift - I thought if all else failed I could show it to someone and they might have a clue where it was:
I'm terrified of parking my car and never being able to find it again. So (very cleverly) I decided to always park in the same car park (the smallest one and away from the others), same level, around the same parking spot. As I start work at 8.30 each day this is quite easy to do. Then the day came that I needed to start late and finish late. As I was driving in I remembered hearing that my regular car park can fill up quickly in the morning and be full by 9.15.
Problem - I would have to park in one of the other (bigger) car parks. "Stop worrying" I thought. "It'll be fine!". Famous last words.
I drove into one of the entrances to one of the car parks, did one lap, then had the option to go to the next level OR go to the same level on the western car park, which looked as though I would be going into another parking structure entirely. So to be safe I continued up, doing laps, and trying to find an empty spot - FAIL! In a moment of panic I made the choice to go over to the west side. Bad Move. Still no vacant spots and by now I was completely disorientated (and dizzy). I did a few more laps, haphazardly going from east to west and at one point thought I was just doing circles of the same level. I was sure I kept seeing the same white Honda who had left their lights on. I wondered if I should tell someone about the lights left on, but quickly realised I had no time to worry about their battery -I had problems of my own.
When I finally saw daylight and realised I must be nearing the top, a few vacant spots started to appear and my panic started to subside. I finally screeched into one and sauntered nonchalantly to the lifts. By this stage I was a trifle worried that I would never see my beloved car again, so I took a photo of the sign by the lift - I thought if all else failed I could show it to someone and they might have a clue where it was:
So I hopped into the lift and luckily someone else (who looked like they'd done this before) got in with me and hit the button for 4 (this wouldn't have been my first guess - I would have tried ground). The doors opened at level four......and we were in another car park. Super. Again I stalked the person who had got in the lift with me and followed him along a yellow cement road (I'm assuming out of the two of us I was the one with no brains) and finally came to a walkway to the hospital building. Hallelujah! By this stage I got all confident and overtook the person I'd been following, but then realised I still didn't know if I was in the right building or what level I was on. FAIL!
Anyway, I finally worked it out after taking a few more lifts, stairs and walkways. Now to get back......the end of the day came and I actually did okay in finding my car. I only had to refer to my phone once to remember the level I was on. The best part was when someone asked me for directions in the middle of the car park - god knows where he ended up.
No more deviation from the plan.
No more deviation from the plan.
PS. During my laps down the car park on the way home that white Honda that had left it's lights on was still there. Hood popped and waiting for RACQ I assume. And yeah, I did feel really bad.
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