I literally just now, an hour ago, helped somebody with the "can't get out of park because no power" issue and then wrote it up:
http://www.reddit.com/r/YouShouldKno...rs_shift_lock/
Scenario: your car's battery is dead, alternator is dead, no power anywhere, you have to move the car, but your PRNDL stick is stuck in park and you can't get it out because the shifter is expecting a signal from the brake pedal confirming your foot is on the brake... which it will be waiting for a long time, because battery is dead and the alternator, too.
There's a small hole near the shifter in which you can stick a rigid, thin object, like a car key! Stick your car key in there, unlock the shift lock, select N, put the key back into the ignition, unlock the steering wheel and now you can at least tow or push the car out of the way.