Country Mouse Meets Up With City Rats

Our move went really well and we are really pleased with the apartment. Yesterday we had a family dinner with all the kids and it was very nice and an event that I hope we can repeat at least twice a month.Run Around Sue came over on Friday and helped me get the kitchen in order. She seems so happy to have family nearby again and said this was going to be a fun summer. On Saturday The Boy  came over and we decided to go to lunch at Chili's, which I knew was close by but not entirely certain of it's location. Because we planned to go to Target afterwards we took the car. Chili's turned out to be only about three blocks away. Signs were posted along all the surrounding streets that read "No Parking Any Time", although there were cars parked all along these streets beneath the posted signs. Behind Chilis is a side parking lot of BJ's where their loading docks are located. Grampie said we should pull in there to park, to avoid getting a ticket for street parking. Ours was the only car parked in the BJ's lot (that should have been a red flag). After a nice lunch where (no joke) we were the only American-born Caucasians, we left the restaurant to get the car and proceed to Target. When we turned the corner our car was no where in sight. Then we discovered a sign that is not visible when one turns into the BJ's lot because it's posted on a one way street in a position you would only see if you passed the entrance to the lot. The sign read that cars of non-BJ customers that were parked there would be towed. It also listed the fees for car towing and storage which started out at $160. A phone number was listed which I called and was told that indeed they had towed my car. When I asked their address, they told me to go to a taxi stand in front of Shop Rite to get a ride to their shop. As soon as I hung up from the call a taxi appeared, who very conveniently knew the location of the shop, which was located in an increasingly scary part of Jersey City and further and further away from the more genteel part that we inhabit.

 The $20 cab ride ended at a cavernous "garage" with the scariest looking bunch of miscreants you can imagine. The piegeon-pooped floor of the 3 story building was lit by two light bulbs on wires descending from the ceiling to illuminate the chop-shop activities which were in full swing. The "workers" included a full spectrum of ethnicities and are certainly the first string team when the JC cops round up the "usual suspects".

 When I had called from the BJ's lot the voice on the other end had told me it would cost me $220 to get my car out. Maybe the guy took pity on me because of our "country bumpkin" appearance, but in-person I was told that it would only be $180 and that was the best he could do. So after taking my debit card and license to take the payment (I haven't looked yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if the payment was for $1,800), this "gentleman" told his brother to unlock the gate that had imprisoned our car. We took possession and left that part of Jersey City where chop-shop business is the dominant economic activity.

 I guess there's a silver lining to this fable--the no-locking-your-front-door ways of Maine need to end at the border with New Hampshire and one must be on your toes that somebody is always going to try to take advantage of the unwary. This experience was an expensive wake up call. Blaze

 PS. Don't worry by the time you visit us, we will be in full possession of street smarts and be able to guide you away from the misfortunes of the country mice population when they visit their city brethren.