My Friend, the Parking Lot Attendant
My Friend, the Parking Lot Attendant - meaning Summary
Casual Encounters Reveal Class
The poem sketches brief, recurring encounters between the speaker and a brash parking lot attendant. Through short dialogues and teasing insults the attendant probes the speaker’s status, relationships, and origin of his car. Small scenes build a portrait of working-class bluntness and class suspicion, while the speaker responds with deadpan brevity. The final line suggests the attendant’s transient life and the ordinary ephemerality of such urban characters.
Read Complete AnalysesHe's a dandy, Small mustache, Usually sucking on a cigar, He tends to lean into cars as he transacts business. First time I met him, he said, "Hey! Ya gonna make a killin'?" "Maybe," I answered. Next meeting, it was: "Hey, Ramrod! What's happening?" "Very little," I told him. Next time, I had my girlfriend with me, And he just grinned. The next time, I was alone. "Hey," he asked, "where's the young chick?" "I left her at home…." "Bullshit! I'll bet she dumped you!" And the next time, he really leaned into the car: "What's a guy like you doing driving a BMW! I'll bet you inherited your money; you didn't get this car with your brains!" "How'd you guess?" I answered. That was some weeks ago. I haven't seen him lately. Fellow like that, chances are he just moved on to better things.
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