Self-Inflicted Panic...

Was feeling kind of frustrated over something this evening...

Decided to drive to Punggol Point to see what I could shoot...

Almost couldn't make it back home...

Reached the end of Punggol Road around 7.30pm...

I didn't know what got into me and I parked my car in the OBS carpark...

The carpark has a barrier and I saw a sign board stating the opening time of the carpark, and a warning message to drivers which says that once the barrier is lowered, drivers would have to collect their cars the next day...

And I thought I saw 5.30 am to 8.30 pm...

So happily I parked the car, and ventured to the beach to take the above few shots...

Didn't basically know what I wanted to shoot...

Eyes just weren't opened...

No vision of what I wanted at all...

Took some long exposure shots, and at the back of my mind, I reminded myself I had to return to my car before 8.30 pm...

And diligently, I went back just past 8 pm...

And to my horror, the barrier has been lowered!!!

I looked at the sign in the pitch dark carpark...

5.30 pm to 8.30 am... Carpark would be CLOSED!!!

I wondered why the heck was the carpark still open when I came in at 7.30 pm??!!??!!

Was quite angry at myself...

A few options quickly came to my mind...

- I tried to see if I could drive over the curbs...

- But my Red Swift Pod is too low...

- I figured I had to leave my car in that pitch dark carpark and walk all the way out to Punggol Central to take a public transport...

- I'll pick up my car some time tomorrow...

And then...

I saw a middle-aged uncle waving at me from about 50 m away, at the bus-stop near the jetty...

I ran towards him...

A miracle...

He said he could help me...

He said he's not from OBS... but he could help me...

He gave me the combination lock number to the lock that locked the barrier to the carpark...

***7...

He asked me to go try if it still worked...

I ran back and drove my car to the barrier, near enough for the headlamps to give me enough light to see where the lock was...

***7... the lock undid itself...

I was free...

I brought down the barrier again after I drove my car out...

Locked the barrier again...

I had to thank the middle-aged uncle...

I drove back to the bus-stop where he was still sitting...

He gave me a thumbs-up...

I thanked him profusely and offered to give him a lift...

He said a friend of his will give him a lift soon...

And I bade him farewell...

A miracle...

An angel...

Lessons learnt:
- Read the words of any sign boards, not just the numbers... a.m. and p.m. do differ!!!
- Just because it's stated that the barrier would be lowered at 5.30 pm doesn't necessarily mean that it should be down at 7.30 pm...
- Don't give up and succumb to panic when everything seems to be all hay-wired... U might just meet an angel to pull you out of agony...

Well... after this self-inflicted panic episode, at least I've learnt some lessons... and I now know the number lock sequence to that carpark... : )