On Saturday evening, I was making my way back into the city and stopped at
Chinatown Express on West Market Street to pick up dinner.
I parked at a meter, and someone parked at the meter in front of me. I went in and picked up my curry chicken, and as I was on the way out, I passed the guy who parked in front of me, who was helping a child up the steps.
Then I realized he'd left his car running at the curb. I didn't see anyone else inside.
Seriously? I know the pickup counter at Chinatown Express is probably less than 20 feet from the curb, but it still doesn't seem like a great idea to leave your car running. When I park anywhere, I try to take out everything that seems worthwhile. After reading all the police log entries where people's cars have been broken into for change, I'm even nervous to leave pennies in there. So leaving the car running seems to be asking for trouble.
Maybe I don't know the whole story -- maybe he locked the doors and had another key to get in or something. (Or maybe, speaking as someone who has locked her keys in the car while it was running, it was an accident.)
Still, seems like it'd just be easier to take the extra five seconds to start the car again.
I parked at a meter, and someone parked at the meter in front of me. I went in and picked up my curry chicken, and as I was on the way out, I passed the guy who parked in front of me, who was helping a child up the steps.
Then I realized he'd left his car running at the curb. I didn't see anyone else inside.
Seriously? I know the pickup counter at Chinatown Express is probably less than 20 feet from the curb, but it still doesn't seem like a great idea to leave your car running. When I park anywhere, I try to take out everything that seems worthwhile. After reading all the police log entries where people's cars have been broken into for change, I'm even nervous to leave pennies in there. So leaving the car running seems to be asking for trouble.
Maybe I don't know the whole story -- maybe he locked the doors and had another key to get in or something. (Or maybe, speaking as someone who has locked her keys in the car while it was running, it was an accident.)
Still, seems like it'd just be easier to take the extra five seconds to start the car again.
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