Revenge of the parking structure

Southern Californians may love their cars but they hate to pay to park them. Paying to park them in a giant parking garage is even more annoying. So, imagine the frustration of the blogger behind Son Mis Locuras, who not only had to deal with a downtown parking garage but then could not get out after celebrating a friend's birthday:

I asked the security guys to open the gate.  They said they would and shortly thereafter the gate opened at the top of the ramp.  What they didn’t do was raise the wooden arm that blocked the exit lane that led to the security gate.

I figured my instructions needed to be more explicit, so I left my car and walked back up to the security guard.  "Hey, you forgot to raise the arm." "Uh, well, ma’am, we can’t find the key," the security guard informed me. "Someone took it."

"How do you expect us to get out," I asked.  He shrugged. I called the building’s management company.  They’re closed until Monday.  I called the emergency number—it referred me to the security guard who shrugged.

Read P2 Karma to find out how she got out.

-- Jesus Sanchez

Photo: Alexander Gallardo / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Anna Lathen]

Something similar happened to me when I parked in the Brentwood Pavillions' parking garage on a Saturday.