A little birdie of history is tweeting me a warning that we, the people who call Penticton our home, are about to be surprised by another “done deal” in the magic camera that rules our fate.
Now that downtown is revitalized, Travel Penticton proposed —parking meters will be imposed everywhere to devitalize, undermine tourism and keep us away from our beaches, parks, downtown shops and council help us, our hospital that has received such outstanding community support.
I had a near death experience during our first visit to Tucson, Ariz. in February 2014. We did not know the city, my wife followed the ambulance, we thanked God there were no parking meters at St. Mary’s. What would we have felt had she gotten a parking ticket?
We have visited high profile tourist places like Las Vegas, Reno, Hawaiian Islands, tourist places in Arizona and Florida. There are no parking meters there. Tacoma, Wash. has a free multi-storey parking garage conveniently located near the closest I-5 interchange to downtown. They also have a free trolley service into town. Yes, it costs $20 or more per hour to park in Manhattan, but those who park there do not pay it out of their pockets. In Manhattan almost all are on there company business and able to pass those costs on to us who use the products of their firms.
Not so with most of us who have been enjoying our parks and beaches and hospitals, especially in our later years. The elderly widow, the lonesome teen, the disabled, troubled, the pensioner — we’ll just have to find other places for our consolation. The beaches, parks, perhaps Skaha, my favourite, will see a notable decline in utilization and support for its protection. And the birdie will say, “I warned you my friend; in camera, it’s a done deal. Trio may build the waterslides and provide free parking for its clientele.”
Harry G. Kapeikis
Penticton