Letters to the Editor 03/17/2010

To the Editor:

In regards to back-in parking, Chuck Humphreys hit it on the head: Some people are afraid of change.

Having used back-in parking on a visit to Seattle, it was readily apparent how much safer it was and made me wonder why other cities hadn't adopted it. Probably for the same reason there aren't more roundabouts in U.S. cities: People are afraid of change.

I believe that if they tried it they would find it a lot less difficult than they thought. To test my theory I took my 15-year-old daughter over to Larch Street to give it a try. Having her permit for less than 60 days means she had no preconceived notion about backing in being any harder than everything else she has to do behind the wheel.

The result? First attempt she was over the line; not bad, but over the line. Second attempt was perfectly between the lines. Clearly far easier than teaching her to parallel park!

So, if a 15-year-old that doesn't have her drivers license can do it, I suspect that everyone else will manage as well.

Carey Tosello

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To the Editor:

I heard many times during the discussion about the gas tax its supporters saying we will get those traveling through Sisters to help pay for Sisters roads. I think that is laughable, since many people who travel will routinely check Web sites like AAA for gas and diesel

prices.

Today AAA showed I can buy gas and diesel cheaper in Bend than in Sisters. Since Sisters is going to add another 3 cents to the price of fuel, there will be even more incentive to drive the extra few miles to gas up in Bend. I'm sure many of those Sisters residents who work in Bend are regularly filling their tanks before coming back to

Sisters.

When our gas stations complain that the Bend stations have more volume and can therefore afford to sell fuel cheaper, I say, "No wonder!" Lower the cost of the fuel and the volume will follow.

If we are going to fleece the tourists, what's next? A toll gate at both ends of town?

Dave Kane