According to the local paper, Lawrence KS has a problem. The merchants are complaining that they can't keep good employees if they have to park in the local structure and can't park on street and overstay the meter. It seems that these employees are starting to get $50 fines after having five citations in a month and this is unfair. After all, these poor folks have to walk a couple of blocks to work and it can be dangerous. Read all about it here.
I'm a tad overwhelmed by this story. These merchants are concerned about their employees. Shouldn't they also be concerned about their customers? If I ran a store in downtown Lawrence I would fire any employee that parked in a space that was convenient and close. I would tell them that close spaces are for the people that pay their salaries.
As for safety – as Mark points out, that is a different issue and needs to be addressed. I assume that people don't come down town to shop because they are afraid to do so. If the employees are afraid to walk two blocks to get to their cars, then wouldn't a potential customer be fearful also. Seems like a police problems, not a parking problem.
JVH
OMG! I am laughing at this story and the stupid lazy, downtown Lawrence KS merchants. I used to go live in Lawrence (4 years) and graduated from KU. It is the most idyllic, perfect little fantasy place where the "scariest" thing there to worry about is some drunk college kid puking on your tires if you are parked along Massechusetts street late at night. Other than that, what the hell are you people talking about?? I now live in crime-ridden Washington D.C. where we have to pay an arm-and-a-leg to park and fear for our lives (literally) that we don't get mugged, raped or kidnapped when we walk to our cars - day OR night! The pathetic excuses these merchants are using are disguises for pure LAZINESS!!!! Geesh Larry-town. Sorry you didn't make it past Northern Iowa in the Tournament, but I don't feel sorry for you about this one. -Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
Posted by: Amie | April 05, 2010 at 04:30 PM