Parking in Paris -

As a kid when some one said they had been parking it usually involved a member of the opposite sex and the windows got foggy – or at least that’s what I’ve been told. Then parking in Paris - the City of Lights, Love and Romance what else could you ask for? Well, first I could ask that it had been Paris France not Paris Idaho, then maybe I could have had someone with me and not been alone.

Once in a while at work, I have to travel to a couple of the outlining areas. It usually takes an hour and a half to get there. At which time I'd meet clients at the local bank branch, occasionally I need to go to their businesses or homes. Every once in a while I do “the loop” – this includes a couple of branches in the same day, this takes about four or five hours to driving time. When your scheduling appointments along the way you have to estimate when you’re going to be at different locations. Because it’s an estimate you can be behind or ahead of schedule most of the time.

Most of these treks start at about six in the morning, so when there’s a gap and I have less distance than time I love to relax or try to take a short snooze somewhere along the way. On this occasion that’s when Paris Idaho comes in play. I was about thirty minutes ahead of schedule and my next appointment was at the local school district building, which also happens to be the elementary school. Across the street is a beautiful church building build by Mormon pioneers, called a tabernacle. It was designed by an old ship builder so the roof is kind of like a ship turned upside down.

On the side of the tabernacle just across the street from the schools playground is a parking strip that became the perfect location for my coveted power nap. So I reclined the seat, closed my eyes, hoping to dream about something other than work. I was somewhat successful but I wish those buses would stop driving by. I wonder how long I’d been here? I can’t be late for the appointment. That sounds like a car behind me. Wake up - what’s that? Are those flashing lights?

Well I hadn't been going to fast, since the engine was off and I’m not parking illegally, technicality I’m in a private parking lot. Yes - officer what can I do for you? Well after showing him my license, registration, business card and explaining why I was there – I guess I convinced him who I was and what I was trying to accomplish. The final bit of information he required was the name of the person I was going to meet with next.

After collecting my thoughts and slowing down my heart, it was off to my appointment – as I relayed my encounter to my next appointment I learned the rest of the story. Apparently the district had a training session to help protect the school kids from predators. They watched a video to learn some of the things to look for – unknown vehicle, out of state plates; suspicious acting old fart stocking the playground. It looks like all of the bus drivers were paying attention. At least they radioed in to the district office reporting their concerns. The person taking all of those calls, also having been trained, knew what needed to be done – call the cops.

Well I really can’t blame them for doing what they were trained to do – even if the one calling the cops also happened to be my next appointment – no wonder the cop chuckled when I told him whom I was on the way to visit.