Ticketed tourist likely won’t be returning soon | Letters | Oct. 29

Published 1:02 pm Friday, October 29, 2010

Just pretend for a moment. I am a tourist with thoughts of moving to Bainbridge Island. I drive onto the ferry ($29-plus) from Seattle excited to spend the day on the island discovering its charm.

I park my car on Winslow Way and proceed to shop, spend money, eat, spend more money, take a walk to the waterfront, explore the park and return to my car to find a parking ticket for a whopping $50.

This is my reward for spending money on the island and acting like a tourist finding its way around a new place?

Or imagine the casual tourists who have been persuaded by guide books to ferry over to Bainbridge and enjoy its surroundings only to spend more that two hours taking it all in but finding a $50 ticket on their windshield. They will never come back….ever.

Ticketing cars with such fervor is a sure way to hurt the island’s economy and turn away potential return visits, but raising the fine to $50 is pure greed.

Larry Droguett

Bainbridge Island