SOUNDING OFF: Their parking ticket came with attitude

[The following was addressed to the city of Laguna Beach.]

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My family and I visited your city on Dec. 27. We currently live in Nevada and visit our son and daughter-in-law in Irvine twice a year.

We always spend at least one day in Laguna Beach enjoying the ocean, having a nice lunch and visiting the shops. We are not big spenders but rarely leave without spending $100 to $200. Several times over the last several years we have made a significant purchase of artwork or clothing.

We parked in a pay lot and returned to it in time to get our car. The lot had many open spaces and even though it said a three-hour limit, it was obvious that we were not taking a spot from someone else.

After a discussion about the numerous open spaces and deciding that the city would be happy to have us out shopping and not leaving yet another empty space we decided to purchase another ticket and shop more.

As my husband was going to buy the ticket he noticed an officer at our car and walked over just as he was putting the ticket on our window. He apparently had stood there waiting for the time to expire.

My husband commented to that effect and the response he was given by the officer was “tough.” I then came along and said how sad it was that while we were having lunch and spending money he would do this.

It wasn’t as though we had left our car there not expecting to pay. The officer’s very condescending response to me was, “Excuse me, you think you are above the law because you spent some money here?”

We know that once a ticket is given it can’t be rescinded by the officer and didn’t even suggest that, however, we were not prepared for his attitude and rude comments.

Ironically, the next day we went to Orange and enjoyed their free street parking and parking lots that make it easy and convenient for people to spend money in their city.

While we love Laguna Beach and the merchants are always friendly, because of this we will probably find a new location for enjoying the water and other places have shops and restaurants.

SALLY S. HANSEN lives in Henderson, Nev.