I have been having problems starting the car lately, particularly on cold mornings. I was working at the Aliso Viejo Library last Thursday and did not leave until it closed at 9PM. It was quite chilly that night and just the right conditions, I’ve observed, when my car would refuse to start.
I got in the car and turned on the ignition switch. CLICK was all the sound I heard. I tried several more times CLICK, CLICK, CLICK CLICK. Then, I waited a few minutes and tried again. CLICK, CLICK, CLICK. I must have done that twenty or so times and the engine would not even turn. I didn’t want to drain the battery so I figured that I was stuck there for the evening.
I have spent the night at the AV Library parking lot before. Some nights I would work the whole day that I would be too exhausted to even drive my car to my usual spot not very far from there. I didn’t think much about it and when I realized the car wasn’t going anywhere I pulled out my blankets and tried to get some sleep.
Fast forward the next morning – 6:30AM. One moment it was dark and all of a sudden it was bright as day. I woke up to a couple of squad cars parked behind me with their spotlights beamed at my car. A Sheriff’s Deputy approached the car and so I opened the door. “What’s going on here?” he asked. “Officer, I was stuck here last night, the car would not start” I replied. I then inserted the key in the ignition switch and turned it a few times. CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK …. to prove that I wasn’t making up an excuse.
“Do you have an ID on you?”, he asked. “Yes”, I replied and pulled my wallet and handed him my license. “Step out of the car for me”, he commanded. I complied and stood at the back of the car. “Do you have anything illegal in your car?”, he inquired. “No”, I replied. “You don’t mind if I pat you down do you?” “No”, I answered. I was the asked to put my hands behind my back after which he proceeded to pat me down.
Volumes and volumes of legal documents were in the back of the car - both loosely on the seat and in folders. One of the officers noticed it and inquired, “That’s a lot of legal documents back there, are you being sued?” “No”, I replied. The other officer asked me, “What is it that you do?” “I’m a Pro Per Litigator and I have five cases that I am trying at the moment”. During the conversation that included the standard police battery of question and answer, I explained that the AV Library is one of three libraries that I use to do my legal research. I simply couldn’t leave that evening because the car would not start.
For safety reasons, the City of Aliso Viejo has an ordinance that prohibits people from sleeping in their cars within city boundaries. The only exception to my knowledge is the Wal-Mart parking lot. Apparently, the company, with permission from the city, has a standing policy that allows people to park and sleep in their vehicles. I’ve been there many times and have never attempted to sleep there. It gets quite noisy that I wonder how people are able rest much less get a night’s sleep.
The short of the story was, they gave me a warning and allowed me to go. When the officers left to investigate another car whose owner was also inside the car sleeping, my car miraculously started.
I was out of there like a bat out of hell.
