I'm about to put the hammer down

When the truck pulled up in front of the storage place on Richmond Street, where such household belongings as are making the trip west with me have been stored for the past six weeks, I couldn't help but wonder:

Do you think it'll be big enough?

"It's 80 feet long," Sean, the head mover, informed me.

Too long to be backed into the second loading bay without blocking all three lanes of one-way Richmond Street. The main loading bay, the one specifically designed to accomodate an 80 foot trailer, was blocked. A city maintenance worker was re-paving the sidewalk right in front of it.

Figures.

I'd been holding a spot for them with my car. No point now. I lit a cigarette. Encouraged, so did Sean. And Jake, and Roscoe, the other two movers — it was a three-man job, my job, because it was mostly boxes. The three of them considered their options.

I know about how movers work because all through university X and his friends, who were also my friends, but who are no longer, worked for a moving company. The stories I could tell you, let me tell you. But later; right now this here's my moving story.

The decision was made to request permission from the manager of the parking lot beside the storage building to park the truck there. Permission was granted, and, after the neatest three point turnaround I've ever seen executed, the truck was parked, parallel to the storage building, nose resting against Richmond Street, but on the far side of the parking lot. It was the only way, so as not to block their traffic.

And so it was that my orange chair, my yellow and purple floor lamps, my bicycle, and my 100 boxes of books, records, and clothes (mostly boots), took the following route from my third floor locker to the truck:

1. From locker #3513 to freight elevator


2. Down to mezzanine level in freight elevator


3. Moved across to other side of mezzanine, to be out of the way of the elevator (this is the spot at which they should have been able to step directly into the back of the truck)


4. Repeat steps 1-3 for second elevator full of stuff


5. Move everything back to other side of mezzanine, into small lift (to go down to street level)


6. Roll out onto sidewalk, along sidewalk to parking lot, and across parking lot to back of truck


7. Push up ramp onto truck

I tipped them $20 each. Do you think that was enough?

In the next story, Postmodern Sass returns to The Banknote. This time, with two characters you've met, Gentle Reader, but who have not met one another.