Another casualty of R.B. parking enforcement
Iwanted to stand up and cheer when I read Brian Daneman's letter to the editor dated Oct. 9. Mr. Daneman wrote of his frustration with the parking enforcement in Red Bank, warning of the consequences to business, that Red Bank will become a ghost town. I am one more story to support this prediction.

On Oct. 8, I took my 2-year-old son to the doctor because he had a very high fever and was wholly miserable. With antibiotic prescription in hand, I decided to try the pharmacy in Red Bank on Broad Street for the fill. At the time, I thought it was great fortune that a spot was open right in front of the pharmacy.

I eyed the meter, making a mental note that I would have to drop a quarter in. Between the wails of my son and a struggle to get the stroller open, I forgot about the meter. I was wrong. I did forget to put money in.

I waited for the prescription and returned to my car 15 minutes later. There was a $38 ticket waiting for me, flapping in the breeze under my windshield wiper. Thirty-eight dollars? I find this fee to be exorbitant, especially as our economy is in collapse. I am charged $38 because I forgot to insert one quarter into a meter. How does Red Bank come up with this figure? Wouldn't $5 or $10 have been reasonable?

Like Daneman, I wonder if a parking attendant was lurking ... watching a harried young mother outside the car, ready to pounce?

I will pay the $38 to Red Bank. But I will not return to the pharmacy. I will frequent other places that have free parking. I will avoid Red Bank in general. I don't need this Red Bank aggravation. I feel badly for the pharmacy; it's not their fault. But that's just the way it goes.

Is my lost patronage to Red Bank businesses worth more than $38? I think Red Bank should rethink their parking rules and regulations.
Tracy Ryan
Fair Haven