Althouse: "Man Finds Car 2 Years After Forgetting Where He Parked."

October 19, 2012

"Man Finds Car 2 Years After Forgetting Where He Parked."

Hmm.

42 comments:

john sager said...: More drugs less analysis.

PS: a libertarian.; 10/19/12, 10:56 AM
alan markus said...: That reminds me of a story that a coworker told about her husband (a lawyer) - he practiced in a little town but had to go to Milwaukee for a meeting at some law firm. When he was done, he could not locate his car & his wife had to drive 30+ miles to pick him up. A few days later they got a call because the car had accumulated parking tickets and was going to be towed. He claimed that some kids must have been out joy-riding with his car when he couldn't find it & then returned it to the area later.

His wife didn't buy that story, because the radio tuner knob (this was 35 years ago) was still set to the local radio station whose format was polka music.; 10/19/12, 11:00 AM
edutcher said...: Not unlike Charlie Brown searching for his lost library book for a week only to find it in the refrigerator.

Where else would it be?; 10/19/12, 11:03 AM
Chip S. said...: This could happen a lot once breathalyzer-controlled ignition systems become standard.; 10/19/12, 11:11 AM
Tibore said...: "Dude, where's my brain?"; 10/19/12, 11:12 AM
Kev said...: (the other kev)

In fairness to the guy, most cars look alike these days.; 10/19/12, 11:14 AM
traditionalguy said...: The car should show on Goggle Earth satrllite and/or Sreet Views. If not, he is asking us to suspend disbelief.; 10/19/12, 11:15 AM
Tibore said...: @alan markus
Tuning the radio to a polka station sounds precisely like the sort of joke a joyriding teen would play. ;); 10/19/12, 11:15 AM
BarrySanders20 said...: My dad told me he lost his car at Cornell in the late 50's. Parked it at the library, got deep into engineering study, walked home, and had no idea where the car was for about a week.; 10/19/12, 11:17 AM
BarrySanders20 said...: My dad told me he lost his car at Cornell in the late 50's. Parked it at the library, got deep into engineering study, walked home, and had no idea where the car was for about a week.; 10/19/12, 11:17 AM
Curious George said...: Was he wearing an "I Tappa Kegga" T-Shirt?; 10/19/12, 11:18 AM
Known Unknown said...: I had this happen to me in a parking garage, where I searched nearly every floor for my car.

Of course, I didn't search for 2 years, but at least 10 minutes.

It was parked where I left it, just out of view behind a Escalade or something. If I had taken two more steps, I would've seen it.

I just realized this is the most boring comment ever. Sorry.; 10/19/12, 11:23 AM
Methadras said...: Drugs are bad, m'kay...; 10/19/12, 11:30 AM
traditionalguy said...: At night a hiding car can sometimes be found with a electronic key clicker that flashes on the interior lights.

That does help at ATL's massive lots after a 2 week trip.; 10/19/12, 11:35 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: One would have expected evolution to have selected out those individuals who couldn't remember where they left their mastodon.; 10/19/12, 11:37 AM
furious_a said...: My first business flight as a young briefcase-toting meatball I parked my car in one of the then-surface lots at DFW, then upon returning a couple of days later realized, while on approach, that I had forgotten completely which lot.

I rode that automatic train around the airport three times before, at one stop, I saw the access/exit arm go up-and-down, which reminded me that I had seen that happen when I boarded the train on my outbound trip. Debarked then-and-there nad found my car after about 5 mins of searching on foot.; 10/19/12, 11:43 AM
dbp said...: I once spent a couple of hours looking for my car at the Denver airport. It seems that it has two main parking areas, one on each side and they are almost perfect mirror-images of each other.

So I went to the spot where my car should have been, but it wasn't there so I started to question my memory--it looked like the right spot and there was no other spot quite like that, but somehow it was different. Only when I went back into the terminal to report my car stolen, did I realize that there was another whole lot on the opposite side.

I walked right to my car. It was maybe 1-2 AM by now, so naturally that was the perfect time to get a flat on the drive to where I was staying.

Finally, I used a heavy hiking boot to chalk a front wheel. It was a RWD car and you can't get a flat rear wheel off with the parking brake on. I drove off without picking the boot back up. Doh!

Sometimes it is good to concentrate all of the bad luck and poor decision making into one day and get it over with.; 10/19/12, 11:45 AM
Anonymous said...: Guy shouldn't be operating any heavy machinery.
And maybe should look into memory palace techniques, too. Don't know they would work if he got knee-walking drunk immediately after...; 10/19/12, 11:53 AM
John henry said...: One time in upstate NY I was driving back to NYC in a rental car when I decided to go to a mall. It was winter, about 10 degrees, but young and foolish as I was I figured I could make it the 100' or so to the door in my shirtsleeves.

No problem.

Then I came out and not only could not remember where I parked, I could not remember what kind of car I was driving. I went out and looked, froze my ass off for 5 minutes and went back inside to warm up.

Rinse and repeat.

On the third try I finally found the car. I figured if I had not found it, I was going to hire a cab to drive me around the lot.

Now I always write my parking location on the palm of my hand.

John Henry; 10/19/12, 11:59 AM
AllenS said...: Alcohol might have been a contributing factor.; 10/19/12, 12:11 PM
CWJ said...: I'm struck by the statement that he had $50,000 of power tools in his trunk. How can that be?; 10/19/12, 12:25 PM
SteveR said...: Two hours-possible

Two days-circumstances

Two years-?

Yeah DFW can be cruel especially when your return flight comes into a different terminal than your outbound flight; 10/19/12, 12:25 PM
Amartel said...: Just in time for the statute of limitations to run?; 10/19/12, 12:27 PM
Jamie Irons said...: This reminds me of an encounter waiting in line at an Ace Hardware store. The woman in front of me, a pleasant person in her mid-sixties, wore a sweatshirt which on the front said:

At my age "getting lucky" is finding my car in the WalMart parking lot...

:-)

Jamie Irons; 10/19/12, 12:28 PM
wyo sis said...: I'm skeptical, but it is Germany. I don't think it could happen in the US. Even in rural areas people notice and report a vehicle parked in the same place for a long time.; 10/19/12, 12:44 PM
jimbino said...: When I left my van with expired plates parked on a Munich street, some neighbors were kind enough to surreptitiously dispose of the plates for me.

Yep, there are lots of secret Nazis, like Kurt Waldheim RIP and Günther Grass still living in Munich.; 10/19/12, 12:44 PM
Carnifex said...: I once got so drunk at a company Christmas party I forgot where I parked. It really wasn't my fault though. After all, brawls in the booths, and frozen turkey bowling(true story) can work up a mighty thirst in a young man. And the other guys giving him their free drink tokens helped. Anyway after taking my turkey and heading for home I wound up at the ballet, with my frozen turkey under my arm. The nice people at the theater were kind enough to call me a cab.

And clean up the mess I made in their lobby.

And let me keep my turkey.

The next day, a Saturday thank you Jesus, was spent wandering downtown looking for said car. I had blacked out where I had parked. Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life.

It was on the 3 floor of a parking garage...I remembered that much. Do you know how many parking garages are down town? A whole freaking lot of them!; 10/19/12, 12:47 PM
Tibore said...: Ok, despite me making fun above, I do have my own story about obliviousness. It just didn't involve a car. One day after work, I was so bushed and beat that I drove home, parked, went up the stairs to my door... and only when I was inches away from unlocking the door and wondering why my key felt funny did I realize I no longer lived there.

Yeah. Parked in my old spot, climbed the stairs, did all the old motions, and only at that point did it hit me.

What's worse: I had lived in another apartment between that place and my then current condo.

No, that wasn't losing my car for two years. But it was a 4 year stint since I lived there, so we're talking some REAL obliviousness here.; 10/19/12, 12:52 PM
Tibore said...: "CWJ said...
I'm struck by the statement that he had $50,000 of power tools in his trunk. How can that be?"

Aha! I have a theory! The guy's really a bank robber! And him "losing" the car was just convenient stashing of evidence!

... okay, fine, that falls apart in the face of him finding the car again. So sue me; I'm just trying to have some fun here. :D; 10/19/12, 12:55 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: @ Tibore

That is how people get shot. You were lucky.

I've never lost my car, however that is a recurring nightmare for me. Usually I'm at college, can't find my classroom, suddenly realize that I haven't been to class EVER and now it is finals and then when that part of the nightmare is over, I can't remember where I parked my car.

I have misplaced my husband's gold and diamond rings that he never wears. NOT LOST I TELL YOU....NOT!. We were going on a trip and to be save I stashed some valuables in a very safe place. "No one will want to look in here." I thought to myself. I guess I was right since I haven't been able to look in....wherever for about 6 months.

/DOH!; 10/19/12, 1:09 PM
john said...: CWJ said...
I'm struck by the statement that he had $50,000 of power tools in his trunk. How can that be?

I will believe this story when someone can show he didn't collect on a large insurance claim.; 10/19/12, 1:31 PM
john said...: I am also trying to imagine what $50,000 of power tools would look like in the trunk.

Maybe it's those diamond cutting blades that are so pricey.

Once I was once considering gold plating my battery powered Dewalt Sawzall which I had purchased for $69.95. Then I saw the same model on sale for $49.95.; 10/19/12, 1:40 PM
ken in tx said...: I lost my car for about a month one time while I was at Squadron Officer School in Montgomery Al. I had been out drinking and took a cab back to the base. I borrowed a classmate's car to look for it. I put an ad in the want ads. I eventually found it on a dead-end street.; 10/19/12, 2:02 PM
Timeforchange said...: I have dreams about not being able to find where I parked my car or which car I am currently using. I walk up and down different streets not able to find my car.

I often wonder what my dreaming is mind trying to tell me?; 10/19/12, 2:12 PM
William R. Hamblen said...: "Have you ever not been able to find where you parked you car?" In a word, no.; 10/19/12, 2:39 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: I hate when this happens to me.; 10/19/12, 3:54 PM
Carnifex said...: As a carpenter I would carry several thousands of dollars worth of tools in my truck. Never got close to $50,000, and I carry 2 or more of everything. 2 Sawzalls, 2 skillsaws, 3 mitersaws, 2 jigs saws, 3 drills, etc. Not counting the hand tools. Heck, 1 of my drills cost $400, and bits start @ $15. $50,000? Nope not buying it.; 10/19/12, 5:23 PM
Penny said...: Now you gotta figure out if the story was inflated, or if the replacement value of those tools was inflated?; 10/19/12, 6:05 PM
Penny said...: Oh, and one more thing.

I'd prefer William R. Hamblen to Suri.

Or however that robot GPS voice spells her name?

Course ... I always have gotten along better with self-assured, male, robotic cruisers.; 10/19/12, 6:15 PM
Astro said...: I was on vacation recently, driving a rental car. I went to visit a popular tourist site; the place was packed with cars and there were lots of similar looking lots around - which I realized once I got about 100 feet away from my car.
So I took out my cell phone and snapped a photo of the lot with my car centered in the pic, and with some obvious landmarks - a couple trees, one with an odd looking dead limb. I knew if I had trouble finding the rental car, I could check the photo to help find my way back.; 10/19/12, 9:58 PM
Astro said...: I heard a story on NPR once about a young woman with Lupus, who had trouble remembering where her kids' school was. As I recall she needed to use an alarm and a written set of directions, every day, because otherwise she would not be able to remember where the school was or when to get her kids.; 10/19/12, 10:14 PM
Kelly said...: oh this makes me laugh. We were stationed in Germany and my parents came over for a visit. We drove down to Munich, parked on a street and hopped on the next passing bus. Did anyone think to look at the street we parked on? Why no. No we didn't. We did eventually find the car. On the same day! How we did it I haven't a clue.; 10/20/12, 10:50 AM