After 33 years in Oak Park, I find there is still so much to love about it: good schools, great people, and earnest attempts (with many failures) at living progressive values. And, of course, there are many great restaurants and family-owned businesses that deserve my patronage.
I wonder how much longer we’ll have those restaurants and businesses. Why? Because parking sucks in Oak Park. And the suckage is getting worse by the week, causing me to question keeping my business dollars in Oak Park.
In the past six weeks, I have had to contest two parking tickets garnered while patronizing local restaurants and businesses. Even at the advanced age of 57, I am quite capable of using Passport, our parking app. And I did so on both occasions, only to receive tickets.
I have contested each ticket and won. But what a waste of my time. I am deeply resentful of village government foisting wasteful and error-prone technology down our collective throats just to make a few more bucks.
I also resent having to pull out my phone when I simply want to run into a store for 10 minutes. It can take longer to use the app than to run the damn errand I came for in the first place.
Two words: Parking. Meters. Two more words: Forest. Park. Last two words: I. Vote.
Liz Thompson
Oak Park
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