Hospital Parking

I know I sounds like I'm merely going to discuss road rage here, but seriously, does anyone else have a problem regularly parking at work? I.e., you might have to park a mile or two a way if you have to work during the daytime because the facility doesn't have enough spots in which you can park? Or better yet, do you find yourself experiencing your road rage at its very worst when looking for parking, no matter what structure you're in? 

At our hospital, there is an off-site parking lot by the civic center. It wouldn't be a bad idea to park there, except every car thief in town seems to know that most of those cars during the day belong to hospital staff who are going to be away from their poor automobiles for several hours.

But that's a day shift problem.

I've noticed as a night worker, there are very few spots on-site AT the hospital that you can park in without damage being done to your car. This never really bothered me too much until I had a new-to-me vehicle with no dents and no scratches. Now, everywhere I park, it seems I find scarred-up cars six inches away from my driver side door! 

For example, last night I managed to park in my favorite spot. Why my fave, you might ask? Well, let me tell you: because I park on the end of a row next to a grassy knoll, where only one other driver can park on my driver's side and thus threaten my paint with scratches and dents. I love that spot!

This morning, I came out and found an old maroon car (no, I didn't notice the make, model, or license plate number; nor did I key his door) that not only was taking up his spot, but had completely parked several inches over the line on my side! I actually had to open up on the passenger side. 

If this mystery car were a person, he would either be classified as a beat-up victim of violence, or as a leper. That is to say, the maroon paint on this old beast was FULL of white scratches the length of the passenger side, not to mention that the mirror was knocked off and there were several other notable damages. How some people just don't care about resale value, I'll never know. Guess I'm just a little anal about that.

I think if someone were to hide a camera in the parking lot, they would here my yelling every morning at the car next to mine. This morning it was, "You idiot! Take lessons and learn how to park your car!" Poor cars. Sans drivers, of course, otherwise I would give their owners a piece of my mind. Oh well. It's either park at the risk of denting my car on-site, or having it stolen at the shuttle site. And thus, hospital parking, while it may drive up the old blood pressure, is teaching me a great deal of patience and restraint.