Hi Jack!

Well that is odd; when I parked the car there it was gold and now I'll be darned if it don't look silver. It's true, the Honda with the bike rack I put in that spot had been replaced with a similar one. The most notable difference not being the change in color but the fact that my personal effects were no longer inside AND my key did not work. Honestly I didn't try but I suspect it would not.

As a cyclist I naturally assumed my car had been stolen immediately. People don't TOW bikes. I wouldn't really expect a company you were representing at an event to tow a car either but you know what they say about assumptions.

Let's just skip to the retrieval process shall we. First let me say AAA gives you 4 miles in which to tow a car on their basic plan. And it's not like we live in the expanse of the country, surely one could find a place to tow a car within 2 miles! Alas my car ended up cross town, which on a rainy dreary day is much further than it sounds.

Lucky for me I turned down the cab ride and hitched a ride with my boss. And as we stood there waiting to pay the fee to have my car relocated 14 miles from where I needed it to be it occurred to me I had no ID on me. It had likewise been towed with my car, which was nowhere in sight.

Again, lucky for me, that guy in the cap (upper right corner) had his, which they readily, without question, accepted as permission to simply release MY car to HIM for a mere $168.  Apparently any Tom, Dick, or Jack can drive off in my car, no proof required. Again, without question, a quarter mile down the road, I walked into a lot and reclaimed my unlocked car.

Lessons:
1. Next time, ride a bike. 
2. Never assume a company 'has your back'
3. If you are short on cash and need a new car, hang out in a parking lot, follow a tow truck back to the lot. Write down the make and license number of a car you like. Turn it in with about $200 cash and tell them your wallet was in the car, Presto...new car, no monthly payment!