YVR and Parking Attendant Rudeness- Are we ready for the olympics?

Ok, so most of you know that The Sophisticate went to the Dominican Republic for her cousin's wedding last week. And I was cat sitting and hanging out with the boy while he was in town. As if that wasn't busy enough, I missed going to the gym for 7 days and I was really grumpy when I got around to picking her up from the airport.

I pull into the airport and up to the 'immediate loading zone'. I've just talked to her and she is at the door walking out. Young, cocky parking guy comes and starts yelling at me to 'keep moving along'

The car was not even stopped yet, just a rolling stop. Looked behind and there wasn't that much going on behind me but no biggie, circled the airport. (Now keep in mind YVR is International but not like SFO or LHR or JFK in size, so circling takes 5 min). Pull up again and the guy starts cursing, jumping up and down and banging on my trunk - this time I'd been stopped for maybe 10 seconds, a full stop. So I rolled down my window and said, seriously, she's AT the door, I need to STOP for her to get her bags in and this is a loading zone - an EMPTY loading zone at that? And he says -you argue, I'm gonna tow your a$$. (Wow! Uhm... ok... circle again). This time I paused at the Petro Canada at the base of the airport ramp and a woman was soliciting a man to get her husband for her "I hate airports and I can't stand being yelled at". I sighed and kept going... this is insane, she's OUTSIDE and he won't let me stop and get her!

So, this time as I circled, I got The Sophisticate on the phone and I say, ok STAY on the phone and walk up to the cocky guy and say, SEE that car? I'm getting her to STOP so she doesn't keep passing me and I don't freeze to death. By the time I got back around though, I decided to vertically pull over infront of the cab lane and into the handicapped space. (there was no cars behind me and I was quite afraid I'd get into an altercation with the attendant)... Took less than 2 min to get her ONE bag in the trunk and keep going and all I have to say is... the Vancouver-Whistler 2010 Olympics are less than 80 days away and I have lived in several major cities with international sporting events, from the Confederation Games to the Winter Olympics to the World Cup... and if this is how the first contact with tourists will be, VANOC and Mayor Robertson better be ready to do some major damage control ... and the airport, please teach your staff that they are the FACE of the city. and if it's a rude, offensive, cocky face - that's the taste you're giving tourists.

With that I'm also going to say... the US/Internationals arrivals/Departures Parking guys (always guys) are REALLY polite, always wish me well, smile, etc.but the ones on the Canadian side are cocky, rude and I'm just... I'm done now. Clean up your act people. I'm FED UP.

-The Diva