Tuesday 27 January 2015

Shared parking Simonstown

So there I was about a week or two ago. Sitting on a bench, in the shade, under the wild fig trees on Jubilee Square in Simonstown. I was waiting for my  walking group to arrive. Contemplating the hustle and bustle going on around me. Cars parking on the square. People taking pictures of everything. The statue of Just Nuisance taking centre stage. More vehicles parking across from me on the main road that be St Georges. An ambulance screamed past, followed by a fire engine. Humans, obviously,  somewhere towards Cape Point, or the Boulders misjudged themselves, and drove over each other, into each other, or over a cliff. Maybe started a fire or something. Hell, who knows. The discussion between myself and a stranger sharing the bench beside me was really irritating. He was carrying on about his little blue car parked across the road, and I wasn't really interested. I was  thinking about the walk to come and a whole lot of  sweet nothingness was reeling through my mind. Watching the pigeons feeding on pieces of discarded edible things left behind by us. Nobody disturbing them. Expecting a squirrel to attack me for some peanuts from above. Alas, no squirrel. Just the stranger carrying on about the state that his car is in. Three years old and in such a beautiful condition. Yak yak yak. As I was staring into the future imagining a tank driving by and demolishing this irritating little blue car, another vehicle pulled into the yellow demarcated disabled bay behind  said blue vehicle. A red one. A nice looking blonde got out the passenger side and walked towards the blue vehicle parked in a legal bay directly in front of them. At least I think she was blonde. May have been the driver. Anyhow she sort of, from what I could gather, sauntered across to the boot of the blue car. Then sauntered back to their vehicle. I was now quite interested in the scenario playing out before my eyes. The lady spoke to the driver and the little red car started up. Inching forward, the red vehicle, under guidance from the passenger, now parking attendant, beckoned her friend closer to the blue vehicle's backside. Out of the yellow zone, into a safe zone. As the lady inched forward I could see that the idea was to park their vehicle on the same demarcated space as the one that my new found  'friend's' vehicle occupied. Him, also seeing what is happening carried on about the legality of this. The more I told him that he should not be concerned as he could not be held responsible for other's deeds the more he carried on. With the guiding of the co driver, the second vehicle was parked, very neatly behind his vehicle, the driver got out, locked the vehicle and her and her friend walked away chatting as if it was the norm. Parking two cars in  one bay. Bravo ladies. I am sure you gave a traffic officer or two, something to chew on! Life's a gas in Simonstown! Come! Walk with me!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Ha ha, ok that's a first. Hey, maybe it's a new European micro-car efficiency thing that will become the norm here.