The NC State Fair is a very popular event, and I visited it on a Saturday so there was a lot of traffic.

Traffic was backed up starting on the 440, the Beltline around Raleigh. I was stuck in traffic to get to the fair grounds for a good 30 minutes.

Once arrived I saw that parking was going to be very tough. There were cars on parked on both sides of all roads, and there was a huge line of cars looking for a good spot.

And then, all of a sudden, I saw it! A great spot, tight but not too tight, at the opposite side of the road. I made an illegal U-turn and stopped to park. This took a while, because it was pretty tight after all and honestly, I just can't do parallel parking. But after some 10 times going back and forth the car was parked.

I was so proud that I took a picture; it was the most difficult spot I have ever parked at.

Traffic backed up on the 440.

Then, while I was taking the picture, it started to dawn on me why nobody had parked here before...

I took this picture, stepped in my car and drove away disappointed and I went to a commercial parking place where I paid $10 for an expensive, but legal parking spot.