To the editor:

Wednesday, March 17, was my father’s 81st birthday. When asked what he would like to do on his special day, he chose to go to Lawrence for the St. Patrick’s Day parade and to visit the Dole Institute. We had a wonderful time at the parade and had a great lunch downtown. Getting back to the car after lunch after three hours, we find a parking ticket.

I was so disgusted with a town that would show no hospitality to out-of-town guests by giving parking tickets, especially on a day when there was a celebration in the downtown area. I have heard that other towns do not give tickets to out-of-town guests; instead they will leave a note thanking them for visiting the city and on St. Patrick’s Day they had instructed their meter people not to give tickets to anyone.

The situation would lead me to believe that the town would prefer that visitors go to south or west Lawrence instead of patronizing the downtown area, which is a real shame. I noticed as I left the parking lot that another individual in the lot was wiping marking off their tires; I guess the parking was meant for the workers who know how to work the system.

I will pay the $2 ticket but have been discouraged from patronizing the downtown Lawrence area.

Donna White,

Silver Lake