A Genuine Miracle

I was visiting a customer in Milton Keynes today. It is a terrible eyesore made of ugly buildings and vast numbers of roundabouts. An example of a 60's new town it is based on an American style grid system so the roads are all numbered as being H (Horizontal) or V (Vertical). This works very well in New York but is just perverse in Buckinghamshire. You may have gathered that I'm not a big fan.

Anyway, having left the customer meeting my colleague and I started walking back to where I has parked the car. As we got near I saw with horror that there was a Traffic Warden looming over my motor with his PDA out furiously tapping away. I understand that being a Traffic Warden is a thankless task which is required to keep our town centres moving, but they don't seem to do themselves any favours by being obnoxious jobsworths. The last parking ticket I got was whilst parked on an empty road outside my parents house this Christmas. What odious little killjoy would do that? As I rushed towards my car I checked my watch and realised that I was only a few minutes over the duration allowed. I fully expected that whatever I said, the swine would come up with some weasel excuse about it being too far into the process to stop, But I almost dropped my moral high ground when the following exchange took place.

Me: "Oi, can you stop."
Traffic Warden: "Is this your car Mate?"
Me: "Yes, I'm only a couple of minutes late"
Traffic Warden: "Fair enough. I'll cancel this"
Me: "Seriously?!"
Traffic Warden: "Yeah. I haven't submitted it yet. I'll cancel it. Have a nice day."
Me (stunned): "Thanks very much."

He seemed very pleasant. Just shows you have to judge people as you find them. (Although I suspect he might just be new).