Kudos to Casie Arceneaux in the April 4 response to your March 14 article, "Better Turnover with Pay Stations," which I and others in Ballard agree was rather one sided.

The lack of parking in Ballard can be frustrating at times and with big condos going up and single family homes in lower Ballard being replaced with three family dwellings, parking will only get worse.

As for me, a 75-year resident of Ballard. I refuse to pay for parking in Ballard either at one of those ugly expensive pay meters or a paid parking lot and only do business with those establishments who offer free parking. Occasionally I drive to the business district of Ballard on weekends and stay if I am lucky enough to find a free parking space.

I came across the following poem recently while going through some old papers that best describes parking in Ballard and most of Seattle these days.

"When Noah sailed the ocean blue

he had his troubles, same as you.

For forty days he sailed his ark

Before he found a place to park."

-Author unknown.

Growth, congestion and lack of parking sure makes one yearn for Ballard's "good old days."

Geraldine Hansen

Ballard