周六晚入睡后，睡梦中似乎听到门铃的响声，迷迷糊糊中，又见一束亮光穿过薄薄的内层窗帘，从楼下街面照进窗来，在黑暗中一闪一闪，特别可怕。我从沉睡中惊醒，不知道发生了什么事？我大气不敢出，猫着腰，踮着脚下了楼。LD已经在门边上，对着门上的眼孔往外看。我压低了声音问，怎么回事？他急急地问，“车钥匙？好像有人要拖我们的车”。然后，抓了车钥匙，一句“你呆着”, 就顾不上身上的睡衣睡裤，冲了出去。我不敢打开灯，疾步走到厨房，烤箱上的电子时间显示凌晨1：33。 我站在厨房窗口，斜斜地看去，只见一辆警车停在我那辆红车边上。LD在低声跟警察交谈to着，随后，见他钻进车子，发动了，往前挪了挪，停下后，又从车里走了出来。几分钟后，他回到家中，告诉我说，是邻居报告警察，车几天没有动，按规定，街边parking同一个地方不能超过72小时。
自从去年买了辆新车，这辆多余的车就是个问题。卖吧，没几个钱，要找车子的title，要贴广告，想想车子的里程数很低，开开也没有什么毛病，女儿如果回家，可能还需要开开。留着吧，时不时也要开一开，洗一洗，也麻烦。犹犹豫豫中，把车子今年的smog check也做了，牌照也续了，想着不急的先留着吧，没想到出了这档事。这车我一星期肯定会开个一两回的，以前停在自家门口没问题，这次停到稍稍远的地方，就被哪家邻居给告了。
要说这72小时的规定我是知道的，去年回国还托邻居照看一下车子，让帮着隔几天换个地方。想着自己在家，以为没事，就疏忽了。唉, 这深更半夜的，吓得我心怦怦跳。
一晃在这儿住了十余年了，算来也是个守法的居民，按时缴费，从不拖欠，小区什么规定也是照办照做。早已经明白了，在美国居住，得守一切法律，住社区要跟着Hoa的管理走。小区管得严，前门的油漆该刷了，后面的车库门剥落旧了，连房子后面楼上的窗户油漆也不放过，每一次通知来了，还强调油漆的颜色code。社区生活，不仅受Hoa管制，还要担心被邻居告。夫妻吵架、骂孩子都可能被告，更别提影响到他们生活的事件，例如，车三天不挪动，养宠物影响到邻居等等都在被告的范围。另外，在社区开车，该停停，该等等，该让让，大大小小的stop signs得停得稳稳当当，否则警察随时有可能埋伏在那里，等着抓你开罚单。
几年前，一位朋友搬离去别州工作了，就把房子给出租了。租客又不管拔草，结果豆腐大的前院铺着砖，有那么一两处的空地上长了几棵草，高了点，被社区通知。他联系了房客让拔了，结果第二次再长高后，又来通知，不知怎么错过了，这张通知单最后到了法庭，朋友飞机飞过来出席，一气之下，把院子全部铺上了砖。
虽然Hoa管起居民来一套套，而且每个月的管理费这两年还涨价好几次。可真正等你有问题报告他们，需要解决时，他们却又是拖拖拉拉的。前些年，后院外面统一种着社区的bougainvillea爬藤的植物，这植物开的花是好看，可是涨势凶猛，像疯婆子, 每次他们派人来剪，就负责把墙外的枝条的推一推，里面的都得自己爬上去剪。植物发达的根系还入侵到院子里。跟他们提了很多次意见，说会派人来做个挡板，防止根系入侵。结果人没来，ticket倒是close，说人已经来过搞好了。实在是没有时间和精力跟他们据理力争，只得自己勤快些。后来不知道，是不是反映的人多了，这植物最后被拦腰斩了，不再爬到院子的架子上。突然间就觉得光线一下充足了很多，原先每隔一阵要“理发”的重负也卸了。我欢天喜地地种上了几棵火龙果，结果等火龙果上墙上架，社区来通知说，这火龙果要挪走，影响他们给架子上漆(根本没有漆)。咦，这藤条被你们压了这么多年了，没见你们漆过一次，我就这么一个夏天，你们就找借口来了。就许州官放火，不许百姓点灯啊？这砍了一次还不够，还来通知，害得我把火龙果砍的元气大伤，今年连花也才开了一两朵。那日，LD又在提，牛油果树长得太茂盛了，都延伸到邻居的窗口了，要不砍了？转眼又犹豫地说，这砍棵自家种的树是不是也得报批社区啊？
几年前，门口的树被大风刮倒了,就一直空着。我只好写邮件，贴照片，也迟迟不见人来重新种上。这Hoa不是常常巡视的，为什么会视而不见的？事情往往还得靠自己follow up才得以最后解决。还有一次，大雨大风的，把树压断了，正巧压在我路边停的车上。那日不知为什么LD不在，我电话Hoa，迟迟不见人来，最后只好自己和女儿两个人，一个开车，一个托着树枝把车开了出来。
都说美国自由，其实这条条框框真是不少。不可否认，它们对社区的维护、整洁、美化起到不容质疑的作用。我发现自己越来越守规矩了，去朋友家，停车位紧张，停在黄色的消防栓几丈远。想想不放心，又特意去查，规定距离要五米，赶紧出去重新找车位重新停。当然，守法是我们的义务。但是反过来，几年前自己车子的muffler在公司的parking lot被盗，报警也无人理睬，又例如现在的法律，$900美元以下的盗窃不算大案，估计报告了都没什么人睬你。这种只对居民严管，不提高加强相关管理部门的制度，是不是也有点有失公允呢？
A doorbell ring broke the silence of the night and woke me up from my deep sleep. Then strong flashlights beamed into the second- floor window, where thick layers of curtains were lifted, leaving only the thin ones to let more night wind in. I was still half asleep when I realized something was not right. Scared, and not aware what was happening, I got up, holding my breath and tiptoeing downstairs, where I found my husband standing in front of the door, peering through the door hole. I whispered to him “what is up”. He whispered back, “looked like someone is trying to tow our car”. “You stay” was his last word, before he grabbed the car key hastily, and rushed out of the door in pajama. I brisked to the kitchen window, and there next to my car by the street parked a police one. The timer on the oven blinked brightly its 1:33 in the darkness. I stood still, tried to listen to the conversation outside, but the voices were kept low. Looking through the kitchen’s bamboo curtain, I saw my husband get into the car, start the engine and move the car a yard forward.
After a few minutes, he returned, telling me that some neighbor complained that the car has been parked there for some time. The police kindly told him that a car cannot stay at one spot for more than 72 hours, and that he had marked the position this time. Relieved, we were back to the bed, but I couldn’t go back to sleep in the next one or two hours. My heart was pounding hard, and my mind wildly roaming.
Since we bought a new car last year, this extra car has been a problem. Sell it? It is still in good condition, and the mileage is so low that it does not worth it to sell so cheap, plus the hassles of finding the car title and putting on advertisement. And if my daughter ever comes back home for any vacation, she may need it. Thus, when the notice of renewal came recently, we had the smog checked and the car registration renewed. Now this is just an extra issue for me to attend to now.
The incident is another reminder that we have to adhere to all kinds of compliances and laws living here in America, in the city and the community.
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