Airport Parking

Your continuing coverage of the construction at Orange County Airport has detailed the difficulties travelers face as a consequence of the inadequate “short-term” parking within walking distance of the terminal.

You accurately reported that the current arrangement is intolerable. It contributes to missed flights, indigestion, high blood pressure and vituperative exchanges between the traveling public and airport employees. It also unnecessarily aggravates the traffic problem faced by those seeking only to pick up, or discharge, passengers and those whose business does not require parking services.

The situation is reminiscent of the circumstances that existed in the mid-’80s. The only short-term parking was in the lot across from the terminal, and the so-called long-term parking was reached through a gate on the access road. The problem was that one had to decide whether to use the long-term lot before knowing whether any short-term parking was available. Naturally, peak traveling periods were often characterized by drivers passing up the long-term parking, driving to the terminal, discovering that the short-term lot was full, and circling the airport to get back to the long-term lot.

One day while biding my time waiting for the next plane to San Francisco (I had missed my intended flight for reasons I’m sure you’ve surmised), it occurred to me that there was a simple solution to my recurrent traveler’s dilemma. If I had only known that short-term parking was already full when I sailed by the long-term lot, I could have parked and arrived at the gate on time. Moreover, I wouldn’t have contributed to the traffic jam in front of the terminal as I frantically tried to make my way back to long-term parking.

I wrote to the airport manager suggesting that he place a sign beside the road visible to drivers before they got to the long-term lot informing them when short-term parking was full. The sign would allow those of us hurrying to catch planes to use the available parking immediately rather than having to circle the airport. Unfortunately, it took considerable effort and, finally, the assistance of the Board of Supervisors to get the job done. But once in place, the sign improved the situation.

ALLAN M. WOLFE

South Laguna