July 02, 2007
Monday

Once again I was almost hit by a car in a CROSSWALK and I'm not even a tourist! The driver had more than enough time to stop, swerved around the tourists, looked right at us and made no attempt to stop. This type of behavior has been worse this year then ever and I have to admit I reacted with a "Carl Webb" gesture! Every day I hear blaring car horns and obscenities shouted out of car windows by adults and teens alike at crossers whether they are in a crosswalk or not. And if it rains and you are by a puddle, well you can guess the rest. Some of the worst culprits are the Borough buses. They never make any attempt to slow down or stop, crosswalk or not.

What is so important that drivers can't stop for a few seconds? Is the world going to end if you show common courtesy to visitors in our town? Have none of you ever saved for years and gone on the vacation of a lifetime? Cut them some slack, let them gawk and take pictures and have good memories to take home. We travel a lot and I can't recall ever experiencing the type of behavior I am seeing from locals .

And what is with the needless destruction of gardens and flower boxes and hangers? Plants are pulled out of boxes along the street and by the library and from the hanging planters, whole branches are ripped off rhodies and then just thrown in the street. The gardens at Whale Park are a disgrace, but this makes them look even worse. You can't tell me it is tourists doing this! And don't get me started on the ankle deep dog poop!!

Also as to you anti-jewelry store people, give me a break!!! Would you like to be told you can't rent your property to someone who will pay top dollar? If someone comes off the ship and can't see beyond the jewelry stores, it's their problem. There are so many other things to do I can't begin to count them, museums, walking tours, fishing, skiff trips, bus trips to totem parks and so much more. Don't you do research before you take a trip? No one is making people buy jewelry. Natural attrition will weed out excess stores. What would you have in their place? More t-shirts and totem poles? Even the stores that so proudly proclaim locally owned and operated are closed come October 1st. If it isn't in WalMart or Tongass, forget about shopping locally until May!

I wish there was a way we could restore the timber industry, fishing and other natural resources, but it's not going to happen thanks to the greenies . So grow up, act like adults, teach your children some manners, and treat others like you would like to be treated!

Elizabeth Stone
Ketchikan, AK

Received July 02, 2007 - Published July 02, 2007

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