Parking Confessions

I just have to say that I don't always follow the signs for parking.

I never park in handicap spots - that's illegal and wrong. I don't take the family with small children spots at the mall either.

However, I will park in the 15 minute coffee spots at Vons - even though there's no way I'm going to the Starbucks inside. At Trader Joe's, I park in the spots marked with an E even though I know that they mean them for employees. Since they don't have signs up telling people that they are for employee use, I figure it could very well be for people like me whose name starts with an E.

And I know this one might ruffle some feathers...but I used to park in the expecting mom spots at Babies R Us. Now I don't park there, but that's really only because I don't go there anymore. But seriously, what were they going to do - tell me I'm not pregnant and tow my car because I parked in a spot for expecting moms and didn't have a giant belly to prove it?

Some parking spaces just have suggestions on them. That's how I prefer to view it.

And since I titled this "Parking Confessions," let me just confess that anytime I back up, I freak out and panic a little bit. I think it all stems from a few years ago when I accidentally backed into a parked car at church.

I have a back up camera.

I thought I was using it.

To be fair, the car was gray and blended into the pavement rather well. Either way, I didn't realize it until I pulled forward and saw the car move. It was not one of my finer moments.

Now I check a lot.

I overly check when I'm backing out.

I ask Micah not to talk to me if it's a crowded parking lot (i.e. Trader Joe's - why do we only have one in town?) I need to focus on backing up.

Mirror, back up camera, mirror, camera, mirror,

On the next car I get (which will be a very long time from now) I want a warning buzzer instead of a camera.