George & his Parking Meter

This is about George the self appointed car park attender in Sacramento, California.

George and his Parking Meter

जॉर्ज अणी त्यंच पार्किंग मीटर

We were in USA visiting our son for a few months. Most of the people there do not have the habit of reading news papers. They get all information and news through their mobile phones. Our son was not an exemption. But personally, I just do not know how to handle a Smart-phone with any degree of comfort. I am accustomed to reading the daily newspaper while sipping my morning cup of coffee. Can't help it. It has become my habit. Deprived of this ritual, I was really out of sorts in the first days of our visit. When I could no longer put up with  this, I mentioned it to my son. "Oh, Bapa, why didn’t  you tell this to me earlier ? I will arrange for your daily paper right away. It is no big deal" was his response. Then and there he contacted "Sacramento Bee", and arranged for a six month subscription. The "Bee" is one of the oldest newspapers in the US, having been established more than 150 years back. Early next morning at 6, there was a thudding noise at the front door. My newspaper had arrived ! Had a glance at the Headlines in the first page. "Three Cheers ! George Is Back !!!" Curious, I read the full report. George was a homeless beggar in Down-town Sacramento. He was not to be seen for four months, it seems. But now he was back. Really, a small matter. Did it deserve to be in the Headlines ?. Let me tell you. It was quite a problem to get a parking slot in Down-town, For parking your car for 10 minutes you need to insert ten dollars in the parking-meter. George made it his habit to hang around the parking meter. He knew that those who had inserted ten dollars invariably turned up a few minutes late. But if you inserted another 25 cents you could extend your time by another five minutes. If you didn't do it, you will have to pay double penalty ; ie, you would end up paying 20 dollars more. George would insert his own 25 cents into the parking meters which were ticking beyond 9 minutes, so that when the car owner came huffing and puffing, he would see to his relief that the time has been extended by 5 minutes ! The grateful chap would tip George half a dollar or one dollar. It was a win-win situation for both ! George made a nice pile this way. All of a sudden he disappeared one day. But yesterday he came back after a four month gap and that certainly called for a banner Headline !!!

एकदा मह॑ लोंकाच बरोर थोड महिने राह्याकरतां अम्ही U S A ला गेलों. तिकडे पोणावांटा दनांसीं न्यूस-पेपर घ्याच दंडक नाही. समाचार अग्गीन मोबैल-फोणांत वाचून कळींगतील॑. मझ॑ लोंक पणीं तसच॑. पण, स्मार्ट-फोण म्हणजे मला होईना. मला दिवसोडी पाष्टे कॉफी पीताना, तज बरोर पेपर पणीं पह्जे. दंडक होऊन गेल॑. पह्यिल॑ थोडक दिवस तरपडून गेलों. सोसाला होईनास्क॑ लोंकाला सांगिट्लों. "कां बापा, कां मला तम्हाच सांगटल नाहींत॑ ? हे काय एवढ॑ थोर विषय का ? अत्ताच एर्पाड करून देतों" म्हण्टला. समेच, "साक्रमेंटो-बी" म्हणून एक न्यूस-पेपर ऑफीसाला फोण करून सहा महिने पेपर घालाला व्यवस्था करूनटाकला. ते फार जुने समाचार-पत्र. दीडशें वर्षाच पुढ॑ आरंभ केलते. दुसर॑ दिवस पाष्टे बरोर सहा घंटेला घरच॑ बाहेरच॑ कवाडांत "धड"शी शब्द ऐकलों. मझ॑ पत्र येऊनगेल॑ ! पह्यिल॑ पानांत Head-line काय म्हणून पाह्यलों. Three Cheers ! George is Back !!! म्हणून होत॑. काय विषय म्हणून पूरा वाचलों. George म्हणणार॑ तिकडल॑ down-town-णांतल॑ भीकारी. घरदार काहीं नाहीतो. चार महिने तो कोठकी गेलहोता म्हणे. अता पर्तून आला. ल्हान विषय. हे कां Head-line-आंत घाटले ? सांगतों. डौण-टौणांत कार-पारकिंग मिळणे उदंड कष्ट॑. दहा मिनिट पार्क कराला दहा डोळर पारकिंग-मीटरांत घालाम॑. George तिकडच केम्हाहीं गुंडाळींगून असल॑. तल कळल॑, दहा मिनिट म्हणून कोणतरीन पारकिंग-मीटरांत दहा डोळर घालूनटाकून गेलतर॑, वापस येताना एक-दोन मिनिट जास्तीच होईल म्हणून. दहा मिनिटाच आंत पंचवीस सेन्ट त्यांत घाटलर॑, पुन्हा पांच मिनिट तिकडच पार्क करूया. नाही घाटल॑ म्हणजे, दुगुणा दंड देम॑. म्हणजे, वीस डोळर पुन्हा घालाम॑. George काय करत होता म्हण्जे, नौ मिनिट होतानच पारकिंग-मीटरांत पंचवीस सेन्ट तज पैसा घालूनटाकल॑. बंडीच मनुष पळून पळून येऊन पाह्ताना पांच मिनिटाच जास्ती समय मिळ्ळसाच पाह्यील॑. अप्पाडा !! संतोषांत तो George-ला अर्ध डोळर की एक डोळर की देईल॑. Win-Win for both ! अस॑ George भरून पैसे करत होता. असलास्क॑ असून तो एक दिवस कोठकी नापत्ता होऊनगेला. चार महिनेच नंतर॑ अत्ता, काल॑ वापस आला म्हणे. हेच ते गांवाच थोर Head-line समाचार !!!