ZIPCAR FOLLIES
The folks at Zipcar pride themselves on the convenience of borrowing one of their vehicles, but that’s partially contingent on the competence of the user.
After a long weekend trip through Virginia, a tired D.C. resident pulled his Zipcar into its assigned H Street parking spot downtown, locked the doors and headed to the street, where he found his girlfriend waiting to drive him back to their Petworth apartment.
Upon returning, the man was in a rush to change clothes for dinner plans and asked his girlfriend to pull a belt out of his suitcase.
“What suitcase?” she asked.
The suitcase that he apparently left in the back of the Zipcar.
His gracious girlfriend drove him back to the lot at 12th and H, where he found the car still in its spot. But his relief was short lived: He realized he left his Zipcar card in his apartment.
For the last time, his girlfriend drove him back home, where he found the card and made his way to the lot. Miraculously, the car was still in its place, the bag still in the back, and, this time, he was able to bring it home.
REALLY BAD TIME FOR A FIRE ALARM
Bethesda moviegoers were already on edge over the weekend when they filed into theaters to see the new Batman movie, “The Dark Knight Rises,” less that 24 hours after a lone gunman killed 12 and injured dozens of others in an Aurora, Colo., theater showing the film.
So imagine the thoughts racing through moviegoers’ minds when, at the very moment Batman confronts his nemesis, Bane, onscreen, an alarm goes off in the theater, and ushers start evacuating the audience.
It turns out that the cause for the alarm was far from threatening: Burning popcorn at the concession stand set off a fire alarm.
Those forced to evacuate the theater were given complementary passes. They can return to see the whole movie later, if they dare.
MAYBERRY, IT ISN’T
Two friends were chatting about the new WTOP poll of the area’s top 10 communities that picked Cheverly as No. 1 town in the region.
One, a former Cheverly resident who now lives in Virginia, noted how he missed the quaint community just outside of Washington. “I miss how close it is to everything,” he said.
“Yeah, like crooks,” responded the other, who still lives in the town. “Just last week,” he said, “my neighbor had his car stolen. Two houses on my block were burgled, and on Saturday a car was stolen a block up.”
ANTI-AGING CREAM, ANYONE?
There’s nothing like intern season in the District to make the regular workers start feeling … well, not as young as those bright-eyed interns.
One professional in particular said she was at the Starbucks in her office recently when “this little intern” turned to her to ask a question while they were both waiting in line.
Ah, thought the professional, the mother of two small children. She’s going to ask me for some advice seeing as I probably look more approachable than the people she’s working for.
“Wait,” said the intern, “my friend Susan said her mom works here … are you Mrs. [Whomever]?”
The professional’s response?
“I got a double espresso and went shopping for better undereye cream,” she said.
Please send interesting anecdotes to [email protected]. Be sure to include your email and phone contacts. Read more Potomac Diary columns.
