Along with the MiniCooper I bought myself a year or so ago, I have a pick-up truck. She's not a thing of beauty, but a 2001 Toyota Takoma. She hasn't done me wrong, until recently.
You see, I live in a row house, and thus have no driveway. It's all street parking around here. Because I am kind, I park the truck in front of my house and my car at the end of the street, on a side street where no one lives. I can see my car from my house, but it's not in the way of others (like my neighbor) who have kids, stuff to carry, etc.
I also don't move the truck much in the winter and spring. I don't drive it, really, unless I'm heading to a weekend of camping. And, as it sits in front of MY house, it's never been a problem.
Until about a month ago.
At some point, someone in the neighborhood decided that my truck didn't belong here, and they started calling 311. 311 is non-emergency stuff, like bulk garbage pick up and reporting abandoned vehicles. The cops come, chalk the tire on the truck and leave me a ticket. Grrr. I move the truck. However, I can only move it after jump-starting it, as it would seem that over the winter the truck has decided to die on me.
Fine. Jump truck. Move it.
311 again. And again. AND AGAGIN.
OK, here's the thing. The truck is in front of MY house. The only parking spot I'm taking up is rightfully mine. OH! And the other thing?! Is that the 311 is LYING TO THE COPS.
So, yesterday I have the If You Don't Move By Saturday, We're Towing Your Truck sticker on the window. Fine. Exept the sticker says that 1) the tires are flat and 2) the truck is inoperable (per 311 call) and that I've been pushing it to move it. Which is a straight up lie. NONE of the tires are flat, and although I have had to jump to stupid truck, it most certainly does run just fine once it gets going.
Last night, when I got home from class, I ammounced to the neighborhood (oh, and they heard me) that my truck DOES run, does NOT have a flat, and MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. Some douchebag who lives across the street (and parks in front of my neighbor's house EVERY day for NO reason) came outside, made some bland statements about how it wasn't him that called (even though he stood in his window and watched us the whole time we were jumping it). When I started explaining that I LIVE in the house it's parked in front of, the motherfucker told me that SOMEONE HIT MY TRUCK LAST WEEK AND HE SAW IT. BUT HE DIDN'T BOTHER TO WRITE DOWN ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THAT. Then he scurried back into his house, after offering to move his car from in front of my neighbor's house so I could move my truck there.
I don't know what purpose someone had in calling 311 about my truck. I have the distinct impression that it was this tool I talked to last night, as he's the only new person on our block. My truck sat happily in front of my house for almost a year, moving when I needed to go somewhere and taking up only my space. Suddenly it's a problem.
I took it to the dealership last night, and I have to call them this morning. I need to know why the battery isn't holding a charge. And then every 48 hours, I'll be moving my truck in front of someone else's house. And when I find out for sure who was calling, they're getting my truck in front of their house every two days for exactly 48 hours. I'll set a timer. But for two nights, they'll be parking their ass somewhere else. And on those nights? I'm parking my car in front of my own house too.
Assholes.
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