To the Editor:
Parking in Old Town Alexandria Dec. 18 reminded me of attorney William Kunstler's questioning of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley during the 1968 Chicago Seven trial following the Democratic National Convention, during which Chicago police clubbed demonstrators. Kunstler asked Daley if that was the traditional hospitality shown visitors.
Exceeding my Old Town parking meter time by one minute on Dec. 18, i received a $40 ticket — yes, 60 seconds late as the ticket indicated, and having arrived at my car within seconds of the citation being issued. The city makes clear on its website that there is no grace period. The "meter maid" did his job. So, I ask, the city, with its Old Town merchants and restaurateurs in mind: "Is this the intended hospitality shown visitors to Old Town?"
For me, it will be a long time before I again visit, for lunch, dinner or shopping, Old Town Alexandria, noting that my dollars spend equally well in my home of Fredericksburg; or, for that matter, at Reston Town Center or Tyson's Corner, which provide zero-price parking garages with close proximity to top-quality shops and restaurants.
As with all actions, there are measured reactions.
Frank N. Wilner
Fredericksburg