Parking at RBC

When we went to the RBC center on Friday, I did my usual blow-past-security and park in the Premier parking area, which has a van handicapped spot of my dreams: huge, huge, huge white hash mark area next to the space, even on the right side so I don't have to back in to bring the ramp down. And its quite literally the very first parking space in front of the doors at RBC. I started parking there "illegally" last year because the non-premier, regular joe h/c spots a) fill up really quickly and b) none of them have sufficient ramp space anyway. By my cones kept getting stolen, so I had to give up. If I parked in a regular spot, or even a regular h/c spot, then we would have to either wait for everyone around us to leave before I could bring the ramp down for Wheeler, or back halfway out of the space to load him in and block everyone trying to get out - and at the end of the game, people are very impatient. I guess a last option would be lower the lift and crush the car next to us, but I don't suppose that would be very nice. As a result, I decided to help myself to the best h/c spot in the world and I simply ignore all the hysterical people lot staff who insist I can't park there. And in fact, after I started parking there, I mentioned it to the head of security at RBC (the real head of security there, there are many weridos who try to stretch their male anatomy by pretending they are a godtobeobeyed), and he said we could park there anytime. You are supposed to have a hang tag to be in the premiere lot, so when I asked him for one in case we would get towed, he said that to authorized towing, it has to go through him. And no matter what, he'd never tow a handicapped vehicle from a handicapped spot, regardless of premier status or not.

So, with that as the back story, the parking lot attendant Friday was absolutely livid that I blew her off and went through anyway. I told her that Head Guy says we can park there, and she kept telling me I had to park, leave on my flashers, go get a premiere hang tag, then put it in my van. I merely said, no, I'm not going to leave my flashers on, we are just going to park there. I rolled up my window and drove away, up to my perfect dream spot. Not 30 seconds later, some other guy, higher up the parking lot staff food chain came running towards us talking furiously into his radio (cleary, Ms. Leave on Your Flashers) called to report my flagrant violation, so I slowed up, rolled the window down again. He too one look at me, didn't look in the back that I could see, and said "Oh! You're HIM! Park right here" and motioned for us to park in the dream spot.

I was a little puzzled, thinking he'd mistaken me for a visiting dignitary or something (who also happened to drive a great big groovin' red conversion van). So I parked, got the ramp down and sent Wheeler and Dog on their way because we were running really late .... due to me screwing up and taking the wrong route to the arena. And we left late, and even after leaving late, then I had to drive home and get the tickets, which I conveniently had forgotten. As I was stowing the lift, the higher up the food chain guy came running back and said "Oh good! I'm glad you got this spot, because HE can park here anytime, at any event. You ever have trouble, just ask me me. HE can park anywhere he wants, I'm really sorry for the hassle she gave you.". He went on for a bit to say that he gave her a hard time about it, and said that if that spot wasn't open, to park absolutely anywhere we wanted in premier (the lot is 3/4 empty at any given event) for any event.

I went inside and caught up with Wheeler and relayed the story to Head Security Guy who confirmed that we can park anywhere we want, anytime. You know, having a broken neck sucks, but now and then people recognize that its a little more than a mere inconvenience, and are nice to you. I like those days.