Mike Gravel, the longest of long shots for the Democratic Presidential nomination, is having car troubles. In fact, he so hates the cost of DC parking garages, the Washington Post reports, that when he formally announced his candidacy President last April he rejected taking his car in favor of riding the Metro subway to the National Press Club, the site of his kickoff announcement.

Gravel’s motor detail — much to the chagrin of staffers — has gotten increasingly intense.

“There’ve gotta be spaces with meters,” a reporter recently observed Gravel telling a campaign adviser while in route to a campaign event.

“Might be hard to find one right out in front of a hotel, Mike,” Elliott Jacobson, the staffer, said.

“Just find a damn meter,” the cranky former Congressman bellowed.

After finding such a spot, Gravel then told his aide, “You need to keep your eye on your watch and keep feeding the meter with coins. The last thing we need is a parking ticket. That’s your priority.”