What I’ll Do for Cheap Parking

Posted On June 2, 2010

After two months of paying $9.25 a day to park in the parking ramp near my new job, I finally found out that the newspaper I work for offers discounted parking at a lot a few blocks away. WAY cheaper than what I’d been paying for my premo spot.

And right now at the beginning of summer, it’s nice to have an excuse to walk outside.

Most of the scenery is actually very nice. It’s an area of downtown they’ve been renovating, and it adds a lot of charm to Des Moines. Let me show you some of the sights I pass on my way to and from work every day.

And finally . . .

You may have to look closely to read the sign. Why did I include this photo? Because this is where my parking lot is. In the gravel lot behind the “adult video store and more.” So I get the pleasure of walking right past it twice a day.

But I suppose I should be comforted in a way, because no matter what time of day I have to go in to work, should I find myself in trouble, I can always find someone there to help me, since they advertise “We never close!” (But I’m pretty sure my eyes would burn as soon as I set foot inside the doors. Ick.)

And so far I’ve only seen one couple (with a dog) venture inside. I was really afraid that a couple of white-haired senior citizen ladies who were being dropped off right behind the building were actually customers ready to shop as well. Thankfully, they walked to their nearby cars instead of entering the back door of the seedy establishment. I’m pretty sure seeing Grandma walk out with her newest DVD or a leather whip and shiny new set of handcuffs would’ve put me over the edge.

Speaking of handcuffs . . . Upon further inspection of my new parking spot, I found another interesting facility bordering my lot on the south.

Yes, I am nestled between the porn shop and the interim county jail.

Could life get any better than this?