Belltown Babylonby Elaine Bonow Chapter 10 A …

Belltown Babylonby Elaine Bonow

                  Chapter 10


A
       typical day in Belltown is when noth-
       ing much happens, but sometimes shit
       happens. Like for instance, last week
I was standing outside the studio looking to
see if our newest PIA (Pain In the Ass) meter
person was on the job. Us locals have been
getting a dose of the real world--we are get-
ting tickets for feeding the meter. Quelle hor-
reur! But back to the topic at hand. I was just
hanging out on the sidewalk looking for my
nemesis when... I heard an incessant beep-
ing noise for two or three minutes. It kinda
bothered me. I looked around to see if a truck
was backing up, but there was none in sight.
Suddenly my attention was grabbed by a
slightly familiar female face. She was shout-
ing from the other side of the street. She was
screaming and pointing up above where I
was standing. DUH! I finally looked up to see
thick smoke barreling out of the third floor of
the Scargo Hotel. KRIKIES! Two women who
worked in the Plymouth Housing office were
walking by on the sidewalk, ran back inside
and called 911. Finally, the distant cry of the
sirens pre-echoed in the air. The first thing I
heard from the fire truck, was a fireman say-
ing, "It smells like food." From experience,
they knew that someone had forgotten about
the pot of beans on the stove.
    Later that same week, my daughter came
by to visit, but when she was ready to leave,
her car wouldn't start. It was nothing really
bad except a pissy battery, but she had to
pick up her son from the school bus in a half
hour. We raised the hood of the car and af-
ter a few unsuccessful attempts to flag a cab
("Hey lady, just call a cab and they'll jump ya
for only 10 bucks." Yeah right. Well, we tried
that and I'm here to tell ya this specific ploy
doesn't work!) OKAAY already, EUREKA! A
man in a VW van u-turns in front of her car,
pulling up to the curb sideways. He jumps
out and slides the side door of the Vee Wee
open. "Here hold the door," he motions to me,
pushes the passenger seat forward, accesses
his battery, pulls the jumper cables out of the
back and is starting to slap them on, when
a motorcycle cop pulls up, lights flashing.
"PARANOIA WILL DESTROY YA," my brain
screams. Just what we need is a ticket or
a lecture by a stern officer. But he sweetly
stopped traffic, waved to the baby girl in the
back seat of my daughter's car and smiled.
    "All's well that ends well."
    WELL, I am happy to report that the prob-
lem with the valet parkers has been resolved,
at least for now, on MY block. It seems that
we now have a professional service working
called Butler Valet. The boys are very nice,
and when I voiced my concerns about them
parking on the street, they made sure that I
knew that they were a professional service
and would not be breaking the rules. Hur-
rah! Miss my last column? Read all the past
issues of the Messenger at www.belltown-
messenger.com/archives.

         Belltown Messenger #8 June 2004