Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

I would like to commend this city on the wonderful job it has done solving parking problems in Campustown.

A few months ago, I had a leased parking space one block from my apartment in campustown.

The ridiculous amount of money Iforked over to the city of Ames was obviously not enough for them to pay one of their meter maids to keep an eye on their “well lit, secure lot,” because someone chose to kick in my headlight and beat up my car with a wooden stick anyway.

So, realizing that paying money for the same “security”I would find parking on the street, I chose to cancel my lease.

But, this did not remedy the situation. The only free place to park in Campustown is located TWO blocks from my apartment down a dimly lit street by the name of Stanton Ave.

After a few late nights of studying (four to be exact), I was forced to park in front of my building and risk being ticketed.

This seemed to me to be better than any other risks I might take by parking TWO blocks from home and walking a dark street at 2 a.m. If security is bad in the city’s lots, I can’t imagine what could happen down a dark street.

The repairs I could afford for my car left me penniless, and when it came time to pay off those four tickets, Iwas unable to do so.

Weeks ago, Iwas visited by an employee of the city and asked to sign some papers.

I was given a court summons for those four tickets that had inflated in price to a sum total of $89, and instructed that I now must fork over the money to Ames by the 15th of December to avoid arrest.

I would just like to congratulate the city of Ames on the fine job it is doing ripping off members of the community and ISUstudents.

And, I would love to know where all the money is going since the parking problem here is obviously not going away.

Trisha Wollrab

Senior

Journalism Mass Communication