Dear Editor:
As a small business owner in Ponoka for over 20 years, I feel I need to address the problems that I’ve had with the street parking in front of my store, The Walrus and the Carpenter. Parking of course is free in Ponoka, but I wonder why some people think that it is OK to park for the day or often days on end, right in front of my entryway?
My business is situated between a fourplex and a duplex. I did not complain when they were allowed to build beside me and I do not feel the residences themselves are the problem. Those who are causing the problem are people who don’t come into the shop nor evidently intend to. (Indeed I would be happy if they did.) They feel they need to park for the day or days and do not understand how rude it is to take parking away that should be available to my customers. So, correct me if I’m wrong, but I feel that it is common courtesy to not park in front of a business for the day, day after day.
Please, next time you park and walk away for the day, take notice of whose business you are blocking. Recently, a car that was parked for days in front of my store did not even move for the snow removal signs, thus when the plow came by it had to swerve to avoid the car and left me with a terrible mess in front which also blocked my access to the store and I had to hire someone to clean it up.
A call to the police was necessary to get the vehicle moved.
Marlene Quiring