Paper N° 12, June 2006

Our neighbor. Finding the site of Rick’s Cafe introduced me immediately to the neigborhood, and I quickly noticed the “Garage Neptune” next door seemed to be a social hub of sorts. Our relations were friendly enough during construction, and the “funky” painted sign, the habit of hanging laundry to dry on racks in the street and the fact that no car repair ever seemed to take place was kind of endearing. After we opened the proprietor was very gregarious, I thought, in helping to park cars at night...that is until I heard he was a bit heavy handed when it came to soliciting tips from our clients. This matter was delicately handled, although I heard he was unhappy. He attempted a “mise a niveau” of his facade with fresh white paint, and brilliant turquoise and red outlines around the windows and lettering of his sign. The pinnacle of our amical relations came on the day, a little more than 2 months after opening, that we we were the Casablanca “checkpoint” and hosted lunch for 350 people, riding in 168 cars in the “Gumball 3000” car rally. Organized by a zany Englishman, each year the rally follows a different itinerary and cars are shipped, flown or driven to the starting point – the ground rules are flashy cars and flashy people. For a little over 4 hours Rick’s was the scene of cars careening around the corner, checking in and the drivers heading inside for lunch and mingling. Ferraris, Maseratis, a NYPD patrol car, Humvees and a lovely classic Morgan – the gamut. For laughs many of these cars headed into the Garage Neptune, where the owner was in his element, bringing out pictures of the good old days – when they really worked on cars. Things seemed to go downhill after that. With no car parking duties, there seemed to be more attempts at “dissuading” our clients to park in front of the garage at night...when the garage was closed. I remember some clients last winter who belatedly mentioned they had car trouble and had asked the “garagist” to work on their car while they were having lunch. I expressed concern, never having seen any car work going on there, and the client quickly went next door to check. He found they’d removed and checked some parts, put them all back, but there seemed to be some odd pieces left. But the car did run, so the client put the pieces in the trunk and at least had enough power to get to another garage. This Spring, however, it seems that he’s mounting a protest of sorts. First came the baby chicks...first they were in a cage but as they grew and got accustomed to their “habitat” they were let loose to parade back and forth on the sidewalk between his garage and our restaurant...not a good advertisement for our “poulet au curry,” “vol au vent du poulet”, or “Salade de poulet tropicale.” Then came the garden. First potted plants, amusing – still the chicks (well on their way to being chickens) parading and the laundry hanging out from time to time. The line was crossed when he cemented in a portion of dirt on the sidewalk where our property ends, put up a wire grill, planted some green stuff, and in the middle placed a brightly colored pot with colored fake flowers in it! I said what could possess him to do something like this. Houssein, our Maintenance Manager said, “ He’s doing it to get your attention.” Every day I learn something new.“ French version Kathy Kriger June 02 2006