Evening star., 1932-11-18
Against Alley Garages.
the Editor Of The Star

To the Editor of The Star:
About a month ago when you printed
the first letter of Mr. E. N. LaMotte
regarding all-night parking in Wash
ington 1 wondered whether or not he
owend a car, as it Is usually those who
do not drive who object to the parking
all night. I failed to find his name
listed In the telephone directory, but
since the appearance of another Of his
letters last night in The Star see that
he says he is a car owner. Where does
he park? I am unable to find his name
listed in the city directory. Is he tax
payer? I am, and feel as though there
is no misuse of the city streets by all
night parking Of private cars. Rental
agency cars take up much of the down.
town streets in the evening with their
cars.
I live in an old section Of Washing
ton where there are few back alleys for
garages and no public garage, Of the
type Mr.. LaMotte claims are being left
empty, within IL city blocks from my
home I dislike to leave my car out in
the wind and rain, to say nothing of
snow and sleet, but my back yard will
not permit OF a garage, although 1t is
on a 10-foot alley, as the yard is three
feet above the level of the alley and held
up by a cement wall which it would
cost much money to tear away
Here is another angle of the imprac-
ticability of regulation to prohibit
night parking Many women drive cars
and cannot always have a man to ac--
| company them in putting a car in a
garage in back alley. Some women
are timid; those who are not should
not have to take unnecessary chances
with dangers, and would not be able to
drive a car IN the evening, knowing
they would have to park it alone in an
alley, many of which are not sufficiently
lighted. I am not lacking in courage,
but why risk being knocked over the
| head to park car in a garage in an
alley? 1t is all very well for those who
have bungalows in the less congested
sections with garages alongside the
houses.
Who sees the cars parked in the street
after midnight? Why need the city be
beautiful after midnight? For whom?
Seventy-tlve per cent Of the people of
the city have no reason to be out after
midnight but occasionally, and those
who are out are bent on business and
not interested in the beauty of the
streets; except perhaps the racketeers
and thieves. Would their aeStheticism
be wounded?
What would Mr.. IaMotte propose to
q
theater show and want to stop for a bit
OF supper? Pay 35 cents to public ga
rage for half-hour in which to eat?
Should he be playing bridge with
friends at their home and they only had
one garage and his car was parked on
the street and there was a rubber to be
! played, must he leave at midnight and
rush his car to his own garage? How
about ringing a curfew at midnight to
be sure no driver would forget his car
was on the street?
Who would dig out the alley to per-
nit using the car after a heavy snow
storm when taxicabs are at q premium
and when one must get to work or lose
days pay? If I am satisfied TO risk
my investment in car by leaving 1t
out all night, whose business Is it?
Where would night workers who drive
to work park after midnight, including
newspaper men, who are out at ali
hours?
Why all this publicity about the ques
ton? Why not let sleeping dogs iie"?
I. M. ALLEN.