Back that thang up

Typically, I am at work around 6:30am. The other morning I pulled up to the parking garage and swiped my parking permit. The screen said "invalid card" What?! I swiped it again and again "invalid card". I look over at the car beside me and he is having the same problem. We both look behind us and there are about 20 cars with sleepy and now frustrated drivers are behind us. The only way to get out is to back up. So, I along with 20 other drivers proceed to back up into the street. I go to the parking garage next door and the same thing happens again: swipe, invalid card, back up. It's now 6:45 am and I think to myself "screw this" and I park in the "A" lot for doctors, professors and other important people. I write a note (lest the parking police try to ticket me for being an invalid) with the date, time and issue with my card. I then hurriedly walk to the hospital (because I am 20 minutes "Late"). On the elevator ride up I tell a co-worker about my morning and the conversation is something like this

Meghan

I wasn't able to use my card this morning, it said it was invalid

Co-worker

Oh, next time that happens just park in the gargae attached to the hospital and get your ticket validated. Where did you park?

Meghan

In the "A" lot behind the dental school

Co-worker

You may want to move it

Meghan

Well I wrote a note

Co-worker

looking at me weird

you still might wat to move it

Meghan

o.k

so I get up to the lab, drop off my stuff, get back on the elevator meander through the hospital, back to the "A" lot, move my car, walk back, get my ticket validated and feel somewhat relieved that the parking police cannot get me now. Later on I tell another co-worker what happen

Co-worker #2

When you left Sat. night did you leave through the open gate?

Meghan

Yeah

Co-worker #2

well if you don't swipe out, the computer thinks you're still here, so if you swipe in you have to swipe out.

Crap.

so I go play musical cars again and go to my garage, take a ticket and then when I leave, I swipe out. Halluiegeh! All is good with the world again!

Lesson learned: Being "invalid" stinks, but during that time you can learn a lot of things.