The whole episode was impossibly civilized. Even the cost was incredible, a reasonable amount rather than the fleecing I expected.

“For this,” I told Sam, “we ought to get towed every day. We’d have covered parking in a safe area.”

But I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea.

As we waved good-bye to the nice lady, I set him straight.

“When you grow up, you definitely don’t want to get towed,” I told
him. “Life isn’t like getting towed in Vancouver.”