Look how easy it is to sour a perfect day
I have a membership to the Vancouver Aquarium — a membership that pays for itself within two visits. The Aquarium sweetens the pot by adding special features, and my membership lets me take advantage of a free ticket. That's about a $50 value.
Dana and I had been talking about getting together for more than a year. I hadn't met her growing tribe of grandchildren, so it was decided that we would turn this into a family expedition. Dana and her husband Bruce; her pregnant daughter Rebecca; Rebecca's toddler son Dawson; and a two and a half year-old, Annabelle. The adultto-child ratio was ideal — two grown-ups per child. The toddlers would get in free, Dana and Bruce would get the seniors' discount, and Rebecca would get the free ticket. Weren't we clever?
We both parked in the sprawling parking lot that swirls around the Aquarium and met — with strollers and diaper bags — at the giant sculpture of the orca outside the entrance.
The day unfolded as it should. The kids loved the Aquarium. We loved watching them love it.
We'd paid for sufficient parking, so we decided to have lunch at the restaurant in the Aquarium. During lunch, our timers went off notifying us that our parking meters were about to expire, so we both topped up our payments, which were accepted.
Going anywhere with kids is like launching a ship. You have to factor in complicated trips to the bathroom, a thorough inspection of the surroundings for soothers, single mittens, or an errant Paw Patrol toy.
We weren't worried. We had extended our parking.
Let me tell you a little about Dana. She used to be the general manager of the downtown Vancouver Hudson's Bay department store. She then went on to manage Holt Renfrew. Even in retirement, she lives and breathes customer service. Dana is efficient. She is punctual. She is clear. She is compliant. How it is that we're friends escapes me to this day.
As our caravan made its way into the parking lot, we were alarmed that a parking attendant was writing a ticket for Dana's car. Rebecca produced her phone showing that she had extended their parking. The man took note. He then tried to reach the office to advise them that there appeared to be a system problem, but he couldn't get through. The conversation went something like this: “I can see you've extended your parking. I don't want to hold you up so, go ahead, and I'll deal with this. It's obvious we have a glitch in the system.” The man took a photo of Rebecca's proof of purchase. The entire event was amiable and courteous. A mistake had been made and it would be rectified.
A few weeks later, Dana got a letter from Easypark. Inside was a ticket for $117.
There's an online dispute process, but it wouldn't recognize Dana's licence plate number, so Dana resorted to calling Easypark. She spoke to someone named Austin. Austin said there was no photo on the file and that the attendant should have called the office. She explained that their employee had no luck calling the office. The fellow then explained that the attendant didn't work for Easypark but for a contractor they hired. Dana explained that, regardless, the attendant represented Easypark.
The conversation went round and round.
Dana asked to speak with a manager. Testily, Austin told her they don't transfer calls to managers. It became clear to Dana that Austin's next job posting wouldn't be with the diplomatic corp. Dana then asked for the manager's email address. She's still waiting on that.
Eventually, Austin just hung up on Dana.
Life is short. You pick your battles. Dana paid the ticket. So, she not only paid for parking in Stanley Park, she also paid a $117 premium for Easypark's inefficiency.
So much for a free ticket to the Aquarium.
Jane Macdougall is a freelance writer and former National Post columnist who lives in Vancouver. She writes on The Bookless Club every Saturday online and in The Vancouver Sun. For more of what Jane's up to, check out her website, janemacdougall.com
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION FOR READERS:
Would you have paid this ticket?
Send your answers by email text, not an attachment, in 100 words or less, along with your full name to Jane at thebooklessclub@gmail.com. We will print some next week in this space.
ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S QUESTION:
Let's hear about your positive runins with the law.
■ Many years ago, my wife and two young children were on our way to a relative's place in Los Angeles and lost our way. We pulled over to the side of the freeway in what turned out to be a no-stopping zone. Within a few minutes, flashing lights appeared and a highway patrol officer tapped at our window. He asked the usual questions, but instead of giving us a ticket, he said follow me, and took us to our destination. Len Damberger
■ A few years ago, while driving around the city, we were pulled over by a policeman who politely requested our car registration. This was quickly and apprehensively produced. He then asked if there might be a little sticker in our glove compartment. We were now aware that we had been driving for a month without applying the current year's mandatory sticker to our licence plate. His final friendly comment was that he would be happy to install it for us — which he did — and sent us on our way. A ticket for the offence was never mentioned. Margaret Elvidge