“Victoria Secret” I blurted.
The room erupted in robust laughter.
My stomach turned as my face went red.

By Carey Ann Hunt

            For years I have shied away from speaking in public or doing anything to put myself out there in a theatrical sense. I clearly recall a particularly awkward moment one evening in eighth grade.  I was invited to a High School Shakespeare play reading event. The 11^th grade boy I had a huge crush on was there.  Giddy with nervous enthusiasm, sweaty palms and a constant blush I mistakenly blurted out Victoria Secret instead of Victoria Station, when it was my turn to read and of course the room exploded in fits of laughter. It took a really long time for people to regain composure. Nerves, laughter, and the genuine dislike of audiences made me want to push that button that makes the floor drop down under me, rapidly opening into a hallway leading to an inconspicuous exit route. The button didn’t work.  I not only was still there I had to continue reading my part.

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What is the cost of paid parking in downtown Davis?

Not how much will it cost an hour to park, but rather, what will the effect be on local businesses?

Local businesses are worried about paid parking and 50-plus of them have founded downtowndavis.org to bring their concerns to the City Council and the Davis public. Again, and again business owners state that paid parking will hurt their business.

Advocates for the paid parking plan state, “Let’s not forget that a car parking spot used for one car — and one shopper — can instead be used by six bikes, and six shoppers.” But, this depends on there being six cyclists demanding a new spot to park. Given the current availability of bike parking downtown I see no evidence that these new replacement shoppers exist. As far as I can tell, no one is deterred from biking downtown for a lack of a place to park. The same is not true for car drivers.

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