Finding a parking spot in Rye takes skill, cunning and local knowledge says Julie McLaren.
I’m thinking of applying to appear on Dragons’ Den. I’ve had an idea for a board game and, in my opinion, it’s really good. Combining, as it does, elements of strategy, quick thinking and luck, I’m sure it would do well. I wanted to call it Frustration, but that name has already been used so at the moment it has the descriptive working title: “Parking in Rye.”
I haven’t worked out all the details yet, but I can envisage a Monopoly-style board around which the participants would move their pieces (little cars in various colours) in order to achieve the aim of the game which is to find a parking space.
The board would depict the familiar map of Rye, with parking spaces highlighted. As the pieces are moved on the throw of a dice, the participants encounter various obstacles and hurdles to parking their vehicle. These would include, but not be restricted to: spaces that have become unusable due to somebody parking with two wheels on the dividing line with the adjoining space; spaces completely blocked by random parking “just for a few minutes”; whole car parks made inaccessible for long periods by delivery drivers blocking a road (miss a turn); car parks full (move your piece round and round until your next turn or alternatively give up in disgust and return to Start).
Participants would also have the opportunity to win tokens that endow them with qualities likely to enhance their chances of finding a space. Ruthlessness would be one, and would enable the player to reverse dangerously into a space already chosen by someone else. Tenacity would be another, and would allow the player to remain in the same car park for long periods when there is no hope of a space, with no penalty. Recklessness, a highly-prized quality, would enable the player to park absolutely anywhere they liked regardless of lines on the road, yellow or otherwise.
As you can see, this game is in the early stages of development. I have not worked out how to include the joys of street parking and would welcome suggestions about that, and indeed any other elements of parking that come to mind. I have no idea how the winner would be declared or how long it might take for such a thing to happen. What if no-one ever wins? What if one of the players becomes so frustrated that they sweep the whole thing onto the floor, most probably losing one or more of the colourful little cars? In fact, the more I think about it, the more I wonder if it is such a good idea after all. I’m already on medication for high blood pressure. Perhaps I’ll stick to reading.
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Image Credits: Col Everett .