Many issues driving city's parking problem

In answer to Lee Santas' letter to the editor complaining about downtown employees using on-street parking, what are you complaining about? I've raised similar complaints over the years, but have been informed that we have plenty of convenient parking downtown.

For instance, there is the city lot. There are usually some vacancies, and one only has to walk a few blocks (in more than occasional inclement weather), cross two or three busy streets (where drivers don't always yield to pedestrians), negotiate a good portion of the distance on ice patches, and un-shoveled sidewalks to reach the store of your choice.

If that is too much trouble, one can always double park, park in the alley way, or use one of the handicapped spots. Be quick about it though, and you might get away without a ticket. Another option is just to use one of the vacant spaces in one of the private lots, such as around the Petal Talk Store. Again, be quick, as you could return to find your car has been towed.

One popular tactic is to keep circling the block hoping that you will be the first in line when someone is forced to move to avoid getting a ticket. Please try not to get too frustrated when the person apparently getting in their car to leave, only pulls forward a few feet and then gets back out in a ploy to fool those responsible for enforcing our parking regulations.

Most importantly, please shop locally! The Bee's recent guest opinion, "By looking out for each other we'll all survive" clearly demonstrated the economic importance of shopping locally. However, nobody ever said we are under any obligation to make it easy for you. In fact, haven't you seen the signs as you enter town informing you that this is a "walking town?"

Of course, we could follow the example of other towns, or those dastardly national chain stores we're supposed to avoid, by saving our closest parking spaces for our customers. That might seem like common sense, but what you don't understand is that we need our workers to park on-street. It creates the impression that we are actually busy. Think of it as a spin-off on the "dress for success" or "fake it to make it" business philosophy.

By the way, to criticize downtown employees is unfair. On your next walk from the city lot to your favorite First Avenue business you are just as apt to pass the parked cars of store managers, attorneys, guest opinion writers, and even the owners of some of the very businesses you are trying to take your money to.

WARD TOLLBOM

Sandpoint