Rant: That $14 parking garage in downtown Portland gave me a show idea

I was stuck in this parking garage on 3rd and Morrison last Thursday. Paid $14 for 2 hours and sat there watching people walk in and out for 45 minutes. Every single person had this look on their face like they were lost or rushing somewhere important. It hit me that a whole series could happen just inside one parking garage elevator. Has anyone else found a weird everyday spot that feels like its own TV show?

3 comments

3 Comments

diana6171mo agoTop Commenter

Oh great, a parking garage sitcom. Because the $14 ticket to watch confused people press the elevator button 15 times is exactly the entertainment I need.

jakejones1mo agoMost Upvoted

Watch people treat a parking garage like it's some kind of escape room. I notice it everywhere now, not just garages. People mashing the crosswalk button over and over like it's gonna turn green faster. Or holding the elevator door open button for ten seconds straight while someone shuffles in slow motion. It's like we all got this weird need to feel like we're doing something even when it does nothing. Parking garages are just the perfect stage for that kind of pointless busywork.

tara6421mo ago

Okay so I used to totally roll my eyes at stuff like this, I thought people were just overthinking boring places. But you know what, I got stuck in a parking garage in Seattle last month and ended up people watching for like an hour. The whole thing clicked for me. There's something about those concrete walls and the weird echo and the way everyone acts like they're in a secret mission that really does feel like its own little world. I actually started writing down little scenes in my notes app because the elevator drama was way more entertaining than my actual plans that day.