Some Other City Actually Makes a Good Decision

Roger,

At last, Alameda's parking nightmare is over. I still have to be quick to get that one spot that's close enough to the door of Ole's Gruel and Hardtack Hovel, but at least I'm no longer competing with all of those people from some city that's not Alameda.

When I first heard that they had raised parking rates in that other city, I immediately started noticing more traffic on Park St. and Webster St. There were even times when I had trouble finding a space without the necessary two empty spaces on either side of it to protect my paint job.

Then on Monday, I heard that the citizens of the city that's not Alameda had risen in revolt against the unjust financial burden placed on people who needed to go to movies and nail salons frequently. They demanded that their city council charge less for parking, which was a generous compromise considering that parking should always be free everywhere. Now their rates are back in line with Alameda's which means there is no reason for them to drive into our city now.

That's exactly the way I like it. The stores are empty again, which makes it more pleasant to go shopping in the few places that have anything worth buying. The streets are much more peaceful now, so I can more easily drive around the block enough times to be sure I get the right parking space. It's too bad our city council never does anything to improve the parking situation here, but at least some other city actually made a decision that is good for Alameda.

Marlene Verloren