In my ongoing quest to document the horribleness that is driving in DC, I now present an Exhibit B. Kip and I were driving from my apt in Woodley Park down to Chinatown. We had just crossed the Thomas Circle underpass on Massachusetts Ave. (or the "Masshole" as I like to call it) and we started to look for parking. Yes, the big 100th anniversary Georgetown game was going on, so you wouldn't be surprised to find no open spots on the street. However, there were plenty of spots that would legally be considered "open". Unfortunately the drivers of Washington consider it more socially acceptable to take up two spots if they have the opportunity.

Let me suggest something: when you try to park in front of a two pronged meter (this is what one looks like) make sure that the meter is adjacent to either one of your bumpers, and NOT to the center of your door. Not only will this make it easier for your guests to exit the car (by not being blocked in by the meter itself), it will also offer another driver a parking spot.

If you do not do this out of sheer courtesy, consider doing it to help boost city revenue. If the 18 jankety parked cars I saw today had allowed another car to park at the meter in front of or behind them, that would mean 36 extra dollars in meter fees. This could provide for 36 extra school lunches for poor kids, or one extra braille copy of "The Da Vinci Code" for our libraries so that the blind, too, could follow the adventures in demystifying the Catholic church.

Think about it, DC.

Labels: cars, da vinci code, DC, driving, Georgetown, jankety, masshole, meters, parking