This is my first letter to an editor, ever.
I received a parking ticket while having breakfast in your town in October. We had previously stayed the night in a Durango motel and had dinner at a Durango restaurant.
We had planned to spend another two days in Durango but canceled all plans and left early, all because of a “chicken scratch” parking ticket.
That would have been two more nights in a Durango motel, two to three breakfasts, lunches and dinners at Durango restaurants and the trip we had planned on the Durango and Silverton Railroad. All canceled because I could not believe anyone would ticket an out- of-state visitor supporting a local business (for breakfast).
Yes, I was in violation of your ordinance. My only defense is that we do not have parking meters where I live in Northwest Washington, and am not used to them (and frankly did not notice the meter).
I hope portions of the $25 parking ticket goes toward compensating the local motels, restaurants, tours and other local businesses that would have otherwise benefitted from our stay.
Dennis DeMeyer
Blaine, Wash.
