Well, a major ingredient in the happiness recipe of my life in San Francisco, is a resident parking permit. With one, life is happiness and joy. Without one, life is misery and pain.

I live on Fell and across the road there is the Panhandle park. This gives a kilometer long stretch of parking space along the side of the park. Prize real estate! With a permit you can always find a place, more often than not, just across the road from the house.

The permit is yearly, running out on the 31st of December. The SFMTA sends a letter in November suggesting you renew, which is easily done online. I realize I have not received this letter. Panic! I have been blacklisted, I have been outsidered, I have been excluded, I have been refused.

I rip out my Senior bus pass and take the first bus down to Van Ness.

I fully expect a couple of hours wait before I can plead my case but I am the only customer. I fill in a simple form. The guy gives me my permit. It takes 5 minutes.

The 21 bus rushes me back home, where I stick on the permit with trembling fingers.

So important.