Editor:
Scrooge is alive and well and working in White Rock.
Would you believe a volunteer driver for Meals on Wheels got a parking ticket one snowy Wednesday while delivering a meal to one of our senior citizens?
The answer from city hall was they have to treat every one fairly. I thought “blinkers” went out when the horse and buggy disappeared. We hear complaints all the time about parking in White Rock, but this one takes the cake, the candles, the plate and the knife.
I have said my piece, let off steam and feel a whole lot better. I hope you print this letter and let city hall have a red face all the way to the bank with their lousy 30 bucks.
R. Storey, Surrey
• • •
Ah, the joys of White Rock bureaucracy.
Perhaps you remember the recent heavy snowfall we all endured? We are pleased to say Meals On Wheels met all our delivery commitments – though not without difficulties navigating the uncleared roads on the Monday and still heavily snowed areas on the Wednesday.
One of our drivers on the Wednesday morning could not get parked in his usual spot due to the snow and had to park on the road. He had a clearly displayed “delivery” notice on his dashboard and removed our familiar white boxes from the back of his vehicle to take them in to the housebound client awaiting them.
He was gone for a total of 10 minutes and returned to a parking ticket on his windshield.
My, fast work by the parking patrol, as he or she was nowhere in sight on our driver’s return to his car.
We all felt this to be rather unfair due to the unusual weather circumstances and I, as Meals on Wheels president, called the town hall that afternoon to say so. I wrote out my objections and presented myself at city hall the following morning and had to fill out a form as well.
It was then “hurry up and wait.” Two weeks later a reply arrived by mail; they want their $30. Meals On Wheels will pay this on behalf of our driver, as we consider the ticket to be most unfair under the circumstances.
The letter also states the appeal was denied in order to be fair to all recipients of parking violations.
I only wish they were as diligent in ticketing those who happily park in handicap spaces. We have dinner on Marine Drive mid-week and observe many abuses of the only two, marked handicap spaces to the east of the pier.
We have even watched the bylaw van itself pulling in there, despite empty spaces further along.
Tut tut. No tickets for themselves, I presume.
Pat Patton, White Rock Meals on Wheels