Please Be Courteous

Because my congregation rents worship space just for Sunday mornings I don't have an office. And because I live about 30 miles away from the community I serve I often find myself needing a place to hang out between, say, a lunch appointment and an evening meeting. A local Starbucks has become my de facto office. With a cell phone, a lap top, and internet access, I'm all set.

One evening last week I emerged from Starbucks to find the following note slipped under the windshield wipers of my car:

Please Be Courteous. This parking lot is for Orchard Village Plaza Customers only. We applaud those who choose to carpool and to Park and Ride, however, our parking lot is not big enough to accommodate those who do and still have room for our customers." The note then told Park and Ride customers where they should park and warned that cars parked against the policy could be towed at owner expense.

It bothered me that I couldn't defend myself. I am a customer! I am courteous! How dare some stranger think ill of me. But I also liked that so many more people are taking public transportation that commuter parking is overflowing.