Fatale Abstraction

Weird Karma Loop?
Coincidence?
Psychic Phenomenon?

I'll blather; you decide.


Last weekend I issued violations to a host of vehicles on my property and then called to have them towed. I hate doing this, because on such occasions, there will invariably be a resident who forgot to give their guest a pass for their dashboard, and the vehicles of legit guests will be swept with the tide to the tow lot.

There were so many interlopers this night that I absolutely dreaded learning after-the-fact how many were actual guests of residents, but I sucked it up and issued the violations even-handedly. I met with the first tow truck driver, and went home, leaving them to their work.

Sunday morning, I was baffled to learn from the tow company that only a handful of cars had been towed, the rest having cleared out of the lot. Greater than my surprise, though, was my relief.

Monday, a resident called to tell me of a neighbor who had gleefully pranced out on the lot and removed the parking violation cards after the first wave of towtrucks came and went. The caller also said when the tow trucks returned, Prancer leaned out of his window and said (verbatim) "Ha! Ha! You don't know which cars to tow, now! Ha! Ha!" The tow drivers didn't hear him, so he repeated this several more times. You have to love this kindergarten-ese from a man in his 30s. Meanwhile, his neighbors were steamed that he prevented parking violators from being held accountable--my presence there had been the result of a deluge of desperate calls from residents who had no place on property to park.

In fact, I benefited from symbolism over substance, having demonstrated my commitment to community policy, and he prevented guests' vehicles from being towed. Rather than annoy me, Prancer did me a huge favor: I enjoy the high regard of residents, and don't have to catch the flak from disgruntled ones. His little caper to cause me difficulty achieved the opposite, and made himself look asinine to his neighbors in the process. How sweet is that?

It's funny how things work out sometimes. I almost feel like sending the guy a thank you card, but this'll have to do: neener! neener! neener!