Park Reservations

It is probably for the better that the state park reservation system has closed (“State Parks Reservation System Is Shut Down,” Dec. 23); it was a sham and a fraud from the start.

It was all but impossible to make a reservation at a state park even when the system was up because the reservation line featured a Byzantine voice mail loop that effectively prevented access to a real person with whom one could make reservations. And the vendor then tacked on $7 a day over the already overinflated cost to camp in a state park, resulting in charges well in excess of $20 just to camp for a night in some locations.

The state park reservation system was a perfect example of the perils of privatization.

I have never been able to understand why the state Parks and Recreation Department won’t allow prospective campers simply to telephone the desired state campground, speak with an actual human being and make a reservation.

CHRIS FORD

Los Angeles