Dude, Where's My Car?

Today I lost my car.

On Wednesday afternoon I parked my car in a ramp at the airport and headed to Dallas. I neglected to grab one of those little reminder papers, thinking I would surely remember where I had parked. I looked back as I entered the elevator and made a mental picture of the floor number and the parking aisle.

After an uneventful flight home, I was looking forward to being able to go home mid-afternoon and relax a little bit before picking up Lucy. I headed to the Gold Ramp, which required me to take the tram. I didn't take the tram the day I left, but didn't think much of it because I came in on a different airline than the one I flew on the way out. I was pretty sure it was the Gold Ramp, because something in my head was noting that it was a ramp in which I usually don't park, and I usually park in Green.

Once I arrived at the Gold Ramp, I tried the 4th level because I remembered being just above the skyway, which is on the 3rd floor.

Car was not there, and something didn't seem right. I stopped to think, and realized the rows didn't line up right. I remembered parking in a row which drove away from the entrance door, and was offset just to the right. These rows were set up the opposite, so I was definitely in the wrong ramp.

By this time, confidence in my memory was shot and I had no idea which of the other 3 ramps contained my car. I settled in to do a little detective work, using my phone to look at an aerial view and remembering how I drove into the ramp area. That didn't help; not enough detail. My phone was dangerously low on battery and no outlet in sight, so I was hoping it would hold out long enough for me to figure something out. All the while I was semi-frantically searching, I heard the same intercom announcement, over and over again:

Welcome to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. You have parked in the [insert color] Ramp. Please take a ticket. It will help you remember where you parked your car.

I'm paraphrasing, but I'm pretty sure I got that last line right. The voice was mocking me.

Finally,I found a layout of the parking ramps on the airport website and figured out that along with Gold, the Red Ramp was set up the same. Two down, two to go. Blue and Green.

I got back on the tram to go back to where I started. Since I was convinced I had parked "differently" than I usually do (i.e. not Green), I tried Blue. Multiple levels of Blue. I definitely got my exercise, as I knew I had parked towards the end of the row on the right. So each level, I pulled my suitcase and carried my computer bag down the row. At one point, I finally thought to pull out my car keys and push the alarm button. Eureka, I heard it! But it sounded like it was coming from the adjacent ramp.

The Green Ramp.

Where I always park.

So, over to the Green Ramp. I was positive I had parked one level above the skyway, because I had a picture in my mind of looking down at the skyway from my level. So I tried Level 4 first. Walked all the way down the row. Nope. Pushed the alarm button. Closer! Must be one floor up. Nope!

Thank goodness the ramp is only 7 levels, the 7th being the roof which I knew wasn't right. I couldn't tell where that damn alarm was coming from. At one point,  I couldn't get it to turn off, so the alarm was blasting and by that time, I would have fully welcomed a security car swinging by to give me a lift. No such luck. I even asked another guy in the parking ramp where he thought the horn was coming from. He didn't know.

In desperation, I tried Level 3, the same level as the skyway.

There was the Ford Fusion, parked exactly where I didn't think it would be.

I must be losing my mind. Lesson: grab the damn paper. Or at least take a picture of it.