Mad Money Machine

Planning to visit DC? Some tips.

We thought today would be a good day to visit the Museum of American History in DC. Newly renovated with more light. We were wrong. Everyone had downtime today and went to the museum. I dropped everyone off and hunted for a parking space. I found one on the street pretty close by after about 30 minutes of circling. The meter is reasonable: 25 cents for 15 mintutes. But the hours are not. You must move the vehicle by 4:00pm or risk being towed according to the sign. The museum closes at 5pm. So I left the museum early and sat in the car and waited. Most of the other cars on the street were still parked there at 4pm too. 

At 4:15 I look up and there is a man in a dark blue coat with an electronic gadget in his hand and he is looking at my license plate. Are you kidding me? An electronic parking violation perhaps? No longer do they write pieces of paper and stick under your windshield wiper.  I start the engine and pull out, but I have a feeling I will be getting something in the mail from our friendly DC gobmint.

This is the kind of thing that makes one irate at those in power. In a small town, you would probably know the meter maid and she would wave at you and you’d chat and she’d say you need to move along now. These days in the big city, everyone is faceless. Everyone just punches buttons on a computer to make someone else pay.

When visiting DC, pay the money and park in a building.