now i have to schedule the time it takes to park

Our office complex has 3 buildings (or is it 4?) and barely enough parking to handle the people who work there. A few months ago, they started work on another building (or 2?) for the complex. The area that will house the new building(s) is the area that used to be a parking lot. As well, since they are digging and doing other construction-type activities, they have had to prop up the underground parking areas of the other buildings with braces. These braces are conveniently taking up a bunch of other parking spaces. They did open an overflow area but I don't think it has as much parking as what used to be there.




This pretty much means that there is no parking. I would guesstimate - and Rainy can weigh in - that a quarter to a third of the parking spaces are gone. I'm probably completely wrong and it's something like 5% but it feels like much more.

If you don't get to the office before 9, you are pretty much in trouble as far as the parking goes. If you get there afterwards, you might as well go back home.

Today, I had a meeting at a different office and got back to my office at 11:10 and was scheduled for another meeting at 11:30. I drove around for 20 minutes and couldn't find a space. There wasn't even anything in visitor parking. I considered parking illegally but am tired of paying tickets because I can't park legally. You would think that they would be lax on the ticketing since there is no parking but you would be wrong.

I decided I would take the meeting over the phone and I drove down the road to get some lunch before I had a meltdown. (I didn't end up making the meeting but that's another story.) I got back around 11:45 and still drove around for 10 minutes before I found someone who was leaving and took their spot. That is the only way to find parking - by stalking.

Is it reasonable to have to spend 30 minutes looking for a parking spot?? It is so frustrating. My calendar is impenetrable as it is, and my inbox is multiplying at an alarming rate; I do not have the time to drive around aimlessly looking for parking.

That sound you're hearing is the sound of me screaming.

SunnyShine
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RainyBow note: Although I am often in this situation at work so can't help but empathize, today Sunny's parking troubles actually made my life better. The 11:30 meeting she missed was also one of mine, and I deflected all of the questions I couldn't answer in her direction. I used the phrase "well, if she were here, she'd be able to answer that" enough times to render the whole meeting useless. Thank you, evil parking gods.