Downtown. . . Again
Aug. 16th, 2010 06:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
qosA few weeks ago, I lost my cell phone case on the bus. This wouldn't be such a big deal if it was a recent purchase, but it's an older model, one that's not made anymore, and I can't find a comparable replacement. I've really been missing it and I want it back.
The good news: I was able to confirm relatively quickly that the driver had turned it in to Metro's lost and found.
The bad news: I have to pick it up at their downtown office during normal business hours.
I work downtown, but it's much to far to walk. To make matters worse, they are in a particularly challenging area of downtown, with awkwardly angled streets.
The first time I tried to get there, my new GPS indicated verbally that I was supposed to continue straight, even though it turned out that I needed to take a slight right onto another street. By the time I realized this, it was too late to make the turn. I managed to get around to the right location, only to find no parking anywhere close to the office because half the off-street parking became unavailable about the time I got off work.
Frustrated, with the traffic getting worse as other people got off work, and needing to get to another appointment, I left.
I tried again later in the week, primed to be cool and know what I was getting into and taking my time -- but it was worse. I missed the "slight right" again, only this time there was a bus between me and the second place to turn. And then the third. And then there were two sports arenas to my right and I found myself south of downtown, south of the ballparks, on game night. By the time I managed to work my way back around to where I needed to be there was no parking close to the office and I wasn't confident I would be able to park and get to the office before they closed. That night it was more than two hours from the time I left work until I finally got home.
I'm driving to work again today, and today I'm getting off two hours early so I can get my cell phone case. (I now have PTO, so I'm not losing income.) I figure that there will be far less traffic and far more parking earlier in the day, and I'll be able to get out of town up to the north end for my foundation meeting without stress.
I can't believe this has been such a huge challenge!
The good news: I was able to confirm relatively quickly that the driver had turned it in to Metro's lost and found.
The bad news: I have to pick it up at their downtown office during normal business hours.
I work downtown, but it's much to far to walk. To make matters worse, they are in a particularly challenging area of downtown, with awkwardly angled streets.
The first time I tried to get there, my new GPS indicated verbally that I was supposed to continue straight, even though it turned out that I needed to take a slight right onto another street. By the time I realized this, it was too late to make the turn. I managed to get around to the right location, only to find no parking anywhere close to the office because half the off-street parking became unavailable about the time I got off work.
Frustrated, with the traffic getting worse as other people got off work, and needing to get to another appointment, I left.
I tried again later in the week, primed to be cool and know what I was getting into and taking my time -- but it was worse. I missed the "slight right" again, only this time there was a bus between me and the second place to turn. And then the third. And then there were two sports arenas to my right and I found myself south of downtown, south of the ballparks, on game night. By the time I managed to work my way back around to where I needed to be there was no parking close to the office and I wasn't confident I would be able to park and get to the office before they closed. That night it was more than two hours from the time I left work until I finally got home.
I'm driving to work again today, and today I'm getting off two hours early so I can get my cell phone case. (I now have PTO, so I'm not losing income.) I figure that there will be far less traffic and far more parking earlier in the day, and I'll be able to get out of town up to the north end for my foundation meeting without stress.
I can't believe this has been such a huge challenge!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-16 01:56 pm (UTC)Well, anything and the weird street plats of Downtown Seattle don't mix. I used to manage a drycleaning drop shop down by the Federal Courthouse, and we had a lot of people wander in hopelessly lost, looking for something that the plats made it hard to find. Like Second and James, for instance.
Did you know that the three plats of downtown came about because the three major property owners hated each other and each created his own plat based on his own idea of the One True Way to plat streets? Trufax. Their descendants still curse them.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-16 02:35 pm (UTC)Good luck today, J.!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-16 02:55 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-16 05:16 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-16 06:52 pm (UTC)I worked downtown for years and I didn't know that James doesn't go through to First until the aforesaid cop told me. I never walked around in Pioneer Square west of Third Avenue except to go to Elliot Bay, which I usually came to from the Uwajimaya side (because why go to that part of town without visiting Uwajimaya?).