The "Get Out Of Your Car!" Fund

Friday, September 13, 2013

Peace Hospital

September 12, 2013

I slept in the parking lot of a different hospital tonight (Peace Hospital).  I drove around during the day looking for a security booth or cameras (none that I could see). When I arrived tonight, I sat in my car for 45 minutes just looking around and learning the environment. I saw a strange sight. There was a parking garage that was reserved for hospital staff only. At the top of the garage, in the corner, there was no stairwell, but instead a dark room with a large television screen. The images on the screen were not security cameras – but cable! So, security guards were sitting at the top of the garage watching television? With their backs to me? The parking lot was quite large, so I parked opposite the guards’ room, on the edge of the lot next to the trees. My back window was wet with rain, so they couldn’t see inside my car even if they were paying attention. There were few cars and they were very spaced out.  A guard would have to deliberately walk around to individual cars, peeping in windows to notice me. As long as they didn’t do foot patrol, I was good.
I decided a cracked window draws as much attention as a misty window, so I wasn’t sure which one I wanted to take a chance on. Finally, I decided to leave the windows up unless I got hot.
Peace Hospital is within walking distance of my job. I mention that because I’ve been trying to get by on $40 of gas this week – that’s one full tank. I’m trying to not drive around out of boredom and waste gas. So today is the day to gas up, and my tank is essentially on E right now, though the gas light has not come on yet.

I realize that everything I need is within a 5-mile radius - both hospitals that I sleep at, storage, both of my banks, the post office, tons of grocery stores and department stores, the library, the gym, and - next week - my evening job are all within a 5-mile radius. The apartment complex where I sometimes sleep at night (Wild Overland Apartments) and Aunt and Uncle Theo’s house are within a 9 mile radius. My church is 18 miles away. 

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