Days I Shouldn't be in Public

Do you ever have those days that start off so good and then take a downward spiral? Last Thursday was one of those wonderful days! It started off really well. We had been shooting a few days that week, but this was the easiest of the days. There was really only one shoot and it was at an easy house in a nice neighborhood...mucho better than our questionable Watts neighborhoods from the day before. The shoot itself was really nice and mellow in a nice house, and had all the time in the world. There weren't any shoots after it, so I took the opportunity to show my friend/assistant how to photograph interiors. I'm excited about it really. She picked up on it and did really well! I didn't have to fight with the already established style of another photographer. With a little more practice, I think she'll do really well!

Between the shoot and teaching her a few photography skills, I was in a great great mood. It was a beautiful day and with our work finished, our next destination was sushi lunch! Of course, we headed to our favorite sushi restaurant. We drove through the beautiful hills. There were lots of puffy clouds and blue skies. When I say the day was beautiful, I mean it!

We were just turning on to the street where our sushi is, when we came to a stop. There were just two cars ahead of us, but we weren't going anywhere. As I looked ahead, I could see the problem. Someone had been hit by a car. Judging by the reactions of everyone there, it didn't look major. However, the poor lady was still under the rear end of the car. We assume that the driver missed the parking garage entrance and backed up into her...I really hope so because, otherwise that would mean he drove all the way over her.

The police and EMTs weren't there yet and now a**holes were flying around the corner almost hitting us sitting there. So my awesome friend Colleen hopped out of the car with her red purse and started directing traffic! That allowed all of us to back up and get out of the way of the police and fire department. We decided I'd head around the block to the other garage entrance and we'd meet at the restaurant in a few minutes. Easy peasy right?

I cruised around the block and headed for the other garage entrance. I recognized a few of the cars from behind me at the other end of the street. I was trying to figure out what was going on though. It seemed all three drivers in the cars ahead of me were idiots. The first car pulled up to the arm and was confused as to what to do next. So the attendant, had to stop checking out the exiting cars to come over and hit the button for the entering car to go. Then the next car pulled all the way forward...so far forward that they missed the button for the ticket booth also. Except they decided that they should back up...which was not going to happen because the next car had pulled right up on their ass.

As I sat there trying to figure out what the hell they were doing, I could still see the accident. I was hoping that the lady was alright. It seemed pretty low key. Hopefully the poor guy had just bumped her and knocked her over and there wasn't any breaks or anything more serious. I felt for the guy. He sat next to her the whole time I was watching.

Finally, the car in front of me pulled up the arm...and way past the button for the ticket booth also...you've got to be kidding me! Did she not see what was happening with the other three cars?! She tried backing up with no success and then finally got out of her car and walked back to get the ticket. She pulled forward and finally it was my turn. I pulled through and was just about to head down the ramp when I heard yelling.

I stopped and turned around to see the garage attendant yelling and running at my car. Then it hit me. I was one of those idiots! The lady in front of me had gotten her ticket and when the arm went up, I followed her right through! I didn't push the button for a ticket, I just cruised through like an idiot! The attendant was yelling at me and asking me what was wrong with me. He said the arm had almost hit my car and now I was stuck in the garage because I couldn't get a ticket now. It seemed a little dramatic, but yeah I was an idiot. I usually don't embarrass that easily, but I felt like such an ass! I'm not sure how I had gone from watching them and judging their inability to figure out how to get the ticket...to completely blowing through and not even taking a ticket!

All I could think was that I had been looking at the accident and just blanked out. So dumb. I explained to the attendant that I was a dumb ass and he warmed up fast. He told me to park and come back up for a ticket. Apparently after he got his public humiliation out, he realized it wasn't deliberate. Turns out I wouldn't be forever stuck in the garage, he signed over a new ticket and I headed over for sushi.

However, Colleen wasn't there. I message her and she was STILL directing traffic with one of the cops! She showed up a few minutes later and much sushi was consumed. Sushi did make up for my idiocy...at least it tasted wonderful and I was back to happy.