On Saturday night RW and I took the Bike and ventured downtown for the first Vikings game of the season. Well, technically the "season" hasn't actually started, it was a pre-season game. Whatever it was, we were there.
Seeing as we go to every game, we've got the parking situation down pat. No $20 "Events" parking for us. Nope, we bring our load of 16 quarters, and park on a side street a couple of blocks from the Metrodome. Saturday was no different. We pulled over next to an empty meter, and started extricating ourselves from the motorcycle.
Pulling up, we had both noticed a gentleman sitting on the grass next to the sidewalk. I vaguely took notice of him, figuring that since he was wearing scrubs, and since we were parking in front of MN's largest county hospital, that he worked there and was enjoying a break outside. Looking back, I'm fairly certain I was wrong.
Seeing as we were standing directly in front of him, we both greeted him. He said nothing, but looked at us with wild, crazy eyes. RW and I glanced at each other, and then we noticed his feet. They were both completely bandaged. He started scooting forward, towards our bike.
He stopped about a foot away and watched RW with a certain intensity as he got out our game tickets and locked things up. Not so ironically, RW was also watching him with an equal or greater intensity. I, the brave woman I am, had backed up, far, far away. Ok, it was only about 10 feet or so, but still. I was beginning to think that perhaps we should have chosen a different meter, but seeing as I had already deposited the weighty quarters from my pocket into this meter, I was willing to chance it.
Watching RW, Weird Guy suddenly spoke.
Weird Guy: "Can I have those glasses?"
RW: "Nope, I need them."
Weird Guy: "Can I ride on your motorcycle?"
RW: "Uh, no."
Weird Guy then started scooting himself right on up to the motorcycle, and started stroking it with his hands. I was watching this, frozen in my dumbfounded curiosity (still from my safe distance, of course). I heard RW:
RW: "Hey! Don't put your hands on the exhaust pipe. You'll get burned."
This didn't stop Weird Guy from putting his hands on either side of that exhaust pipe.
RW walked over to me for quick spousal conference:
ME: "What do we do? Do we call the police?"
RW: "I'm not really sure. I think he's a patient here."
ME: "Let's go into the hospital and find Security."
Galvanized into action, we hurried toward the building, furtively glancing behind us to see what Weird Guy was doing. Of course, in a pure Murphy's Law sort of way, the door to the hospital was locked. The sign stated that we needed to go to a different entrance, on a different street. We quickly walked towards the end of the block, hoping to find an open entrance.
By the time we got to the cross street, we stopped and turned to see what Weird Guy was up to. As best as we could see, he had now pulled himself up and was either standing next to the bike or sitting on it. This, I could tell, was a little more that RW could bear - seeing Weird Guy on his shiny, red, beautiful bike. I whipped out my phone and handed it to him, and soon RDub was talking to the police dispatcher.
Feeling appeased, knowing that the fine Minneapolis police department would soon arrive, we walked back past the bike, and on towards the Dome. As we passed, we saw Weird Guy stretched out on the street next to our red, shiny bike. Suffice to say, if one chooses to pay only 4 bucks for parking, one must be prepared to get what they pay for. We're good with that.
Entering the pressurized Metrodome, the strong air current whipping my hair around somewhat like a finger in a light socket, we took our extra $16 bucks and marched ourselves right over to the concession stand near our seats.
Parking: $4
Food: $16
Downtown Experience: Priceless...?
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