Shortchanged at LAX
Recently we drove to LAX to meet a passenger arriving from Oakland. We pulled into the parking lot across from the terminal. Silly us: It was a metered lot, and we’d forgotten to bring quarters.
After digging around in the car without success for a few minutes, we started to flag down others in the vicinity, trying to buy quarters from them. We were all in the same boat: lots of spare change but no quarters to be had and no change-making machines anywhere.
Reaching the closest place to obtain quarters, a shop in the terminal, required walking through the parking lot, across the street, into the terminal and past the security checkpoint. If we were lucky, it would mean that our car ran the risk of being ticketed for only about 15 minutes. If we had been elderly, disabled or walking with young children, it would have taken much longer.
We shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to use a public facility. Is anyone at LAX listening?
KAREN POULSON
Los Angeles
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
