Phantom Car Alarms
I adore my apartment. It's adorable, with tons of Victorian features and built-ins. It's bright and spacious and feels like a house. It was built in the 1920's and kept in great condition by the land-lords of the building, who called it home until MC and I moved in. We've been there for almost two years now, so we have had plenty of time to come across and accept all of its quirks, and even with a bathroom light-switch that won't stay on, a perpetually dripping shower faucet, cupboards that just won't stay shut, and a circuit breaker that likes to break, I still love it.
There is only one major thing I do not love about my apartment, and it has more to do with the neighborhood than the apartment itself. This thing I speak of is what I like to call "the phantom car alarm." Yes, somewhere in my great neighborhood, someone owns a car with the world's most sensitive anti-theft device. And by sensitive, I mean that it is virtually incessant. A cat while walk past this vehicle and the alarm will go off. A baby will cry two blocks away and the alarm will sound.
Whenever I hear evidence that the Phantom Car Alarm (PCA) is near, I run to one of my front windows hoping to catch a glimpse of which car this alarm belongs to. I have dreams of writing strongly worded yet letters to it's owner with cordial messages of "turn off that f*cking alarm!" But, because this particular alarm does not seem to make the car's lights flash, it is impossible to find it. That doesn't mean I don't try though...that's almost two years of dropping whatever I'm doing and running to the front windows whenever I hear it, and looking frantically up and down the street in vain until it goes silent. Isn't there a super hero somewhere than can see sound waves? Where is he when I need him?
Well last night, I was reading my philosophy homework in my room when I heard a different kind of car alarm. This car alarm was longer, louder and had different sounds. After the 4th or 5th time it went off (in about 45 minutes), I ran to the front window. But after so many fruitless searches for the PCA I was not expecting to see it. This time, though, I DID find it! It was a red convertible (older, maybe late 90's?) with a white soft top parked right across the street. It's lights flashed and the entire alarm would go into a pattern of random noises for a minute or two whenever something big drove past it. I couldn't believe it! This was not the original PCA! Which meant...[insert dramatic movie music here]...now there are TWO!!!!
Even though this was not the PCA, I was now faced with the opportunity to write a note and get out my aggressions about overly-sensitive car alarms!
But...it was late, and I was tired. I figured I'd give PCA #2 a second chance before barraging it's owner with mean things about his stupid car alarm. Much to my dismay, I was able to fall asleep to the sounds of PCA #2. When I woke up this morning I thought maybe it left sometime in the night. I was wrong though. While walking to my car this morning, I was greeted by PCA#2 going at it again.
(sigh) At least now I know what PCA#2 looks like. Somehow that makes me feel better, and encourages me to keep hunting for PCA #1.
There is only one major thing I do not love about my apartment, and it has more to do with the neighborhood than the apartment itself. This thing I speak of is what I like to call "the phantom car alarm." Yes, somewhere in my great neighborhood, someone owns a car with the world's most sensitive anti-theft device. And by sensitive, I mean that it is virtually incessant. A cat while walk past this vehicle and the alarm will go off. A baby will cry two blocks away and the alarm will sound.
Whenever I hear evidence that the Phantom Car Alarm (PCA) is near, I run to one of my front windows hoping to catch a glimpse of which car this alarm belongs to. I have dreams of writing strongly worded yet letters to it's owner with cordial messages of "turn off that f*cking alarm!" But, because this particular alarm does not seem to make the car's lights flash, it is impossible to find it. That doesn't mean I don't try though...that's almost two years of dropping whatever I'm doing and running to the front windows whenever I hear it, and looking frantically up and down the street in vain until it goes silent. Isn't there a super hero somewhere than can see sound waves? Where is he when I need him?
Well last night, I was reading my philosophy homework in my room when I heard a different kind of car alarm. This car alarm was longer, louder and had different sounds. After the 4th or 5th time it went off (in about 45 minutes), I ran to the front window. But after so many fruitless searches for the PCA I was not expecting to see it. This time, though, I DID find it! It was a red convertible (older, maybe late 90's?) with a white soft top parked right across the street. It's lights flashed and the entire alarm would go into a pattern of random noises for a minute or two whenever something big drove past it. I couldn't believe it! This was not the original PCA! Which meant...[insert dramatic movie music here]...now there are TWO!!!!
Even though this was not the PCA, I was now faced with the opportunity to write a note and get out my aggressions about overly-sensitive car alarms!
But...it was late, and I was tired. I figured I'd give PCA #2 a second chance before barraging it's owner with mean things about his stupid car alarm. Much to my dismay, I was able to fall asleep to the sounds of PCA #2. When I woke up this morning I thought maybe it left sometime in the night. I was wrong though. While walking to my car this morning, I was greeted by PCA#2 going at it again.
(sigh) At least now I know what PCA#2 looks like. Somehow that makes me feel better, and encourages me to keep hunting for PCA #1.
posted by Follow the Frog at 10:54 AM
1 Comments:
Haha. That's a great story. I especially love the part where you're poised to drop everything on a moment's notice as part of your efforts to locate the PCA! =)
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