Letter: Rigid parking enforcement in Aspen

It is about time we fix the parking situation is Aspen. Here it is, the dead of the offseason, and I decide to do a nice thing for a local employee at the place I get physical therapy. I drive into town at 5:30 p.m. to buy a gift certificate from one of the local restaurants. I run in for five minutes, and at 5:35, I get a ticket. There were no more than 10 other cars on the entire block.

It had always been my assumption that is OK to park after 5 p.m. When did that change? Was it at the same time the city raised the parking rates?

I have always wondered if our Parking Department has set quotas for our parking-meter people. Are they paid on a commission or bonus system? Lord knows they work hard!

This is the offseason. This is bad for business. My wife and I moved here 12 years ago and made the decision to do whatever we can to support local businesses.

If we do not come up with a better system, particularly for locals in the offseason, I can assure you we will just use Amazon.com.

I would be happy to chair a committee to figure this out once and for all. Enough is enough.

Rick Schwartz

Aspen