The struggle of keeping a car in New York City

A lot of New Yorkers don't have cars. Keeping it in a garage is like mortgaging a small house, and have fun keeping it on the street where if you could buy a wheel club for an entire car, it still wouldn't be safe.

But the fact that Manhattan is an island, and the subway and bus system only takes you so far, sometimes having a car is like a godsend. For me, getting to a golf course that doesn't have the entire population of Burkina Faso playing on the weekend is imperative. You can't do that without a car in New York City.

Not to mention that prices two feet outside the city limits are nearly half those inside the city. I mean, if I can finagle my way out to Target, (Now I don't have to! There's a Target in Harlem!) I'll be able to stock up on food, supplies and toiletries and save myself hundreds in the long run.

So I thought I would give it a shot--keep a car in the city. There are certain areas where street parking is ample. But when you live on 26th Street between Second and Third avenues, a parking space is like Bigfoot. You never see one and when you do you can't believe it. So when you finally do track one down, you hold onto it like grim death.

So the other week I had my car and was parked on 24th Street. I was certain that I was golden, since I was parked in a school zone and because I was on the alternate side of the street sweeping for the day. But I was broke and wanted to make sure that I didn't get stuck with a big, fat ticket ($100). So, shhh--don't tell my boss but I took the morning off, sat in my car and watched as the ENTIRE block moved its cars.

But they didn't move their cars from one side of the street. They sat, parked in the middle of the street waiting for the street sweeper to come by. Then it was a mad dash to get the best spot. It reminded me of an epileptic version of musical chairs. I watched in amusement, smugly I might add, and headed back to work.

I went back the next night to move my car for street sweeping and lo and behold, there was that beckoning orange slip of paper. I couldn't believe it. They gave me a ticket for parking in a school zone! And school wasn't even in session! So I will be taking my case down to 100 Centre St. and fighting like heck to save myself a few bucks. Don't be like me; keeping a car in the city isn't worth the pain in the butt.