The "Service With A Smile" Story

It was an ordinary day.  My wife Carol and I arrived yesterday at the house on 116th Street in Stone Harbor, NJ.  My brother Steve and his wife Kathy had rented the house, which was 3 houses from the beach, for a week and had invited Carol and I to spend some time with them.  I am sorry to admit that I hadn't been on vacation with Steve since the 1950s when our parents would take us to the Chesapeake for a week of fun every summer.  I am five years older than my brother and when I entered high school we kinda went different ways with friends, jobs and schooling.  Over the years Carol and I would go on vacations with our children while Steve would go on vacations with his children.  Always got together for birthday parties and holidays, but never managed to spend a summer vacation together.  Well, that has all changed now because of his offer.  And, I foresee more vacation time together.  We had the best time even though it was only three short days due to work schedules for my wife and myself.  Well, after arriving we headed to the beach and there they were, sitting next to a large pile of sand along with their three grandkids, daughter and son-in-law.  They saw us coming and gave a wave.  Kathy headed back to the house with us to help us unpack.  I backed the car to the curb in the angled parking spaces and began unloading.  We quickly grabbed our bathing suits headed back to the beach.  Eventually their kids and grandkids headed back to shower and take off for home, since they had school and jobs to attend the next day.  We sat on the beach for some time, then also headed back.  The next door neighbor, probably the only other living person on the beach block due to the time of year, warned me about parking with my car backed in instead of forward.  I thanked him and went to get my car keys.  As I entered my car I saw it!  Yellow piece of perforated index under my windshield-wiper.  A PARKING TICKET!!  Now, I'm the only car parked on the block and there aren't more than a few dozen other automobiles in the entire town, but I got a ticket for backing into the space.  "Where's the sign that says I can't do that?" I ask anyone who can hear me.  Seems there is a small sign at the end of the street that tells me I have to pull into the angled spaces.  Showed it to Steve who is already laughing as loud as he can as we try to figure out how much it's going to cost me for the convenience of getting about 8 feet closer to the front door.  "Kathy told you to pull into the driveway right next to the house," he said.  "Yeah, I know," I responded.  Well, as we walk around the town today, I tell everyone I'm going to head to the Police Station to pay my ticket.  Carol says, "But you don't have it with you."  "Don't worry, they'll take my money even without it," I replied.  Steve headed with me to the station to make sure I didn't get in any trouble. We approached the window after entering the door.  Three officers who looked like high school students were watching football highlights from the day before.  I tapped on the glass to see how thick it might be.  "Yeah, it's bullet-proof," one of the officers told me.  About this thick as he held his finger apart to show me."  "I don't have my ticket I got for no reason at all, but can I still pay for it now."  He laughed and asked for my car license plate number.  "Now who knows that?" I asked him with an annoyed voice.  "The ticket even had the wrong color of my car on it," I told him testily.  We finally figured out which ticket was mine since they had only a few to check and he told me the citation number on it.  I had to walk around the corner to the Municipal Office and head to the second floor for the Court Offices.  Young girl greeted me from behind another bullet-proof piece of glass and asked what she can do for me.  Eventually told me with a smile that I owed $25.00.  Payed the fine and as she gave me my receipt she smiled again as she said thank you.  Tough to get angry with her!  She didn't park the car!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.