Parking can be fun, redux

Near Philadelphia, there is a village. There you can make make a right turn that misses a traffic-light post by a good two inches (Well, maybe four...). If you don't mind taking up the whole road you're turning into (including both oncoming lanes-- watching everyone frantically back up while inaudibly discussing your ancestry could be entertaining, I guess, if you had a certain mindset...)

You got around? Good. Now take the next right. Yeah, it's a residential street. Still easier than that first place I told you about, right?

And there's the customer on your right. Note the steep hill. And the gate. And the cars lined up on either side of the gate.

Oh, yeah, and the total lack of a place to turn around. This will be a ninety-plus degree back to your blind side. Have a good time.

What d'you mean, the street's too narrow? I got in there! And it only took me half an hour!

Well, yeah, I did pull up into the parking lot of that apartment house across the street there. Partway, anyhow--it wouldn't hold the whole truck. And I didn't tear up the truck OR the retaining wall!

(The caretaker was impressed, too. "I don't know how you got into that position," he said, "but I'm amazed that you got back out of it."

(Hmm. Maybe I won't mention that...)

Ah! You made it! Congratulations! Now you just back up to the dock so they can unload you and--

Oh, right. No loading dock. And no ramp. And no unloading equipment. All the trucks before had a lift gate.

(They were quite a bit smaller, too. Or so I was told. Apparently this is a new account for us. And I think the salesman skimped a bit on the questions...)

When I was here, they ended up borrowing a forklift from a nearby construction site. Maybe he's there this time, too. Hope so.

Don't worry. Getting out is a little safer. And you'll only tick off half as many people blocking traffic. And the customer will be glad to see you go.

And this didn't happen to you anyway. After it happened to me, I sent a message to the Company--telling them exactly how dangerous this place was. And we know they care more about safety than profit. And that they respect their drivers' judgment on matters like this.

Right?