LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Why are parking spots blocked?

I’m wondering whatever happened to common courtesy and good old fashioned respect? Having been raised with such, holding a door open when someone was behind me, no matter their age (however, especially if it were an elderly person) man/woman, color, race never matters.

It was just common courtesy. Please and thank you were the first words I taught my children. Listen when being talked to and respond respectfully. It’s been weighing heavily on my mind to speak out on a specific parking area in Porterville.

In front of the old ‘Smith’s” Market a pain management doctor sees his patients once a week to provide easier access in travel since his main office is located in Visalia. The majority of the people entering this office are in pain, some extreme, as can be seen on their faces. Many with canes, in wheelchairs or barely shuffling along.

My husband happens to be one of these suffering folks. So my question is, “Why is the parking spots directly in front of this doctor’s office completely blocked?” Lots of parking is available for the two stores, much of it never even in use. There is also plenty of parking over on the side of the Family Healthcare building.

The fence I’m speaking of goes right down the center of the parking spaces, when it easily could have been placed down the sidewalk right next to it. I’ve seen many times where an accident could happen when folks enter from the street coming in the opposite way of the small parking area that is there. The word that comes to mind is “petty.”

Hopefully some will read this and actually do something about what I’ve said. Be a little more courteous to others, use a please and thank you more often and remember that our elderly were here before us and deserve the respect we should all show them. Thank you for listening.

Tammy Edwards Springville