Dude - Where's my car?

I went into town yesterday morning as I had a contact lens check-up and sight-test and so I decided to look around the shops for a while afterwards. When I left at around midday I got back into the multi-storey car-park and my car wasn't where I parked it. To be fair I did forget to look which floor I had parked on but it should have been easy as I was in the parking space right by the lift. But my car wasn't there!!

I went up to the next level and down to the one below and still no sign of it. I thought I was going mad. I went back down to the shop level and back up again. The lifts were heaving as it was a Saturday so I had to do the stairs. Then I went up and down via the car route and I just couldn't find it. I kept telling myself that it had to be me being silly but I began to get worried and more and more tired as I went up and down the different levels and floors trying to find it.

In the end I pressed the button on the security booth and spoke to the guard and he sent a man down to help me. I felt such an idiot saying that I couldn't find my car. But this nice man came down and took the details of my car and said he'd start at the top level and work his way down looking for it. Meanwhile I stood on the 5th floor worrying about how my car could have been stolen from the park and trying to remember all the stuff in the boot which I'd have to try to claim for on the insurance.

After a while I saw the security man come down to my floor - 'still going' he said. Oh dear. Minutes passed and eventually he reappeared looking hot, sweaty and really tired. "It is where you said you'd parked it," he said "But it's on the 3rd floor..."

Oh Gosh - what an idiot am I? I was sure I'd checked every floor. I was so relieved that my car hadn't been stolen but I did feel rather guilty for being such a wally as the poor man was really panting and tired after checking all the floors.

So I went down, found my car and drove to the exit. It was really busy, cars queueing to get in and out. I put my ticket in the machine, and it beeped and said 'return to pay-station.' I'd taken so long finding my car that I owed more money on the ticket. You can't pay at the exit and are supposed to pay at the machines on the shop level. Oh no!! I couldn't do that as there were lines of traffic queued up behind me.

There was only one thing for it, yep I had to press the button and speak to the security guards again. "How much did you pay?" they asked. I hadn't a clue by then and so said I'd lost my car and had to get the man to help me look for it. There was a pause and then I heard "Oh yes. Right - I'll let you out then." I'm sure I could almost hear them screaming in the back-ground "Just get her out of here!!" Ha ha. What a complete and utter girl. Oh dear.

I don't think I shall go back for a while.