Dude, where's my car?

I hate the Library Parkade.

First off, it's ugly and claustrophobic.  Seriously, would it have really cost that much more to dig down another foot or two so it doesn't feel like the roof is crushing you with its gargantuan weight?  Also, there are not wide lanes here - if you make a mistake and go the wrong way, it's a 20-point turn to get back facing the other way.  And back to the ugliness (which, really, is systemic in Edmonton) - I do like how they tried to pretty it up with some lame-ass technicolour bison paintings on the walls.

Also, what's with the level naming.  P1, P2, P2S, P2N, TPS (report).  Good thing I have excellent spacial awareness and can visualize, from street level, exactly when I'm standing on top of where my car is parked.  Also also, it's like a labyrinth down there (dance, magic dance) - multiple entrances that lead to parts of the Parkade that are seemingly inaccessible to other parts.  I like the Russian Roulette of where you're going to come out when you exit as well.  Side story on the exits - I do love the sign that says "Lights?" on the wall as you exit.  I always expect (and am disappointed by the lack of) their counterpart signs - "Camera?" and "Action?"

Anyway, my biggest issue with the Parkade is the stupidity of the exiting process.  They pay some dude (read douche) minimum wage to sit in a booth and take cash only upon exiting.  Have you ever been to an event downtown and then waited for 40 minutes in an endless line of cars and carbon monoxide while dude (douche) figures out how to break a $20?  I swear that I've had to pay for an extra 1/2 hour while waiting to leave the place.  I don't understand why they don't get with the 1980s and have pay stations that you visit before getting to your car.

The other night, we went downtown for the lighting of the Christmas Tree in Churchill Square.  It was a cool fireworks display, but we did have to sit through Lynda Steele and Nicola Crosbie doing an extended mix of news banter.  Wow, that was awful.  Anyway, it took us half an hour to get out of the Parkade.  When we got to dude (douche) - our total charge for parking???  ONE DOLLAR!  Seriously?  It was worth someone's time for ONE DOLLAR?

I wish all parkades were like the Volkswagen parking garage, which makes me think of what parking would be like in the Matrix.