Yes, that's right. A person has to pay to go to the beach here in the land of the free (although we all know nothing's free, and Janis told us that "freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose) and the home of the brave. Well, that's not exactly right - one has to pay to park one's car at the beach if one is not rich enough to get there in the family yacht. We're talking two dollars an hour after you pay six dollars to cross the bridge to get to the beaches (discounted to two if you buy a special sticker). However, the powers-that-be make it relatively simple - the machine devours dollar bills and credit cards, then an attendant comes around and collects the loot and writes tickets every hour on the hour just like clockwork. Sorry. Couldn't resist that easy shot.
We've learned to play the game: hooking up with a transponder, recognizing that the mean machine prefers credit cards to dollar bills, locating the best parking lots. Occasionally everyone parks for free when the machine malfunctions. You know how it works - the parking permit that the machine spits out must be displayed on your dash. We became familiar with that routine in Wellington, NZ, where there never seemed to be enough parking spaces to go around. Same problem here during "the season" as tourists wait in line in their cars for hours, hoping to snag a spot when someone leaves. They're on vacation - what else do they have to do?
So....last week when we returned to our car, there was a ticket stuck behind the wiper blade. What's this? Seems the parking nazi had been unable to locate our receipt, fined us $35, left us instructions about where to mail our payment, and admonished us that the fine would increase to $50 if it wasn't paid in five days. Well, the DH (dutiful husband) decided that he was going to fight back so he has made his case and sent the documents to the authorities.Don't mess with Texas, y'all. Stay tuned.
2 comments:
In New Zealand everyone must be able to access the beach. All beaches. It's the law. There would be a HUGE public whinge if fees were imposed.
Parking tickets make me testy. What's public transportation like there? Is there any to the beach?
Another plus for the Kiwis, and I must say that their beaches are beautiful. However, we Yanks are much more selfish with our beaches. Often up to the tide line is public access, but then, parking is very limited and one cannot cross private property to get to the water.
Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a great deal of public transportation available in southwest Florida, although there are buses and trolleys which transport tourists to and from certain locales.
Parking tickets are always a bummer because they are usually unexpected and tend to ruin an otherwise pleasant excursion - whether it be a few hours in the sun or shopping for a new pair of shoes. I suppose there are bigger worries so I'm not whinge-ing.
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