2013-03-04 42 -87

Location

A long-term parking lot at Mitchell International Airport.

Participants

RocketMac

Plans

I was teaching a class when I saw the coordinates were reachable. After work is dinner with the in-laws, so I'll to go after that.

Expedition

Dinner with my in-laws is often a politically-charged, head-down-mouth-shut, affair. Tonight was no different. But in my head, I kept myself mentally alive thinking about a reachable hashpoint down by the airport.

Once things broke, I started my way down while my wife took her car straight home.

Upon arriving in the area, I realized this was not just a parking lot, but a long-term pay lot for the airport. At least in theory it shouldn't be too expensive to get in and out, but I wasn't sure what kind of patrols would be in the lot and looking at me like I was crazy.

I drove in and got my ticket. Already less than 500 ft from the spot, I pulled into a parking spot just two spaces away. I got out and started taking pictures of the space and the surrounding area like the control tower off in the distance.

...that's when I noticed the huge number of security cameras...

Okay. Time to go.

At the exit gate there was a completely empty credit card only lane and a cash (manned) tower with a long line. Like a sheeple, I pulled into the line for a bit. I just kept wondering what I would say when they saw my ticket was less than 15 minutes old. Would I lie and say I was just dropping someone off at their car? Would I try to explain the truth? Then it hit me to just go to the un-questioning machine.

Pulling over to the machine I made three attempts to get it to work. It kept telling me my ticket was invalid. I was just taking a picture of the machine when I patrol (private security) car pulled up and asked what I was doing. I just held up my ticket and said that the machine wasn't taking it. He took it and put it in the machine (like I was doing it wrong) and then told me I would have to wait in line. I thanked him as he was looking at me and scanning my car and rolled up my window. At the gate, I brightly said "good evening" to the woman who looked like she hated her job. That put her in a better mood and I kept the cheer going during our five minute interaction and by the end she was smiling as I left.

Perfect timing. The patrol guy had parked his car and entered the booth. He was pointing at my car as I pulled out.