Mailbag: Parking control just doing its job

Re. “Tickets the work of a grinch, recipient says,” [Dec. 30]: I have resided on Balboa Island for many years and was moving my truck, like I always do for street sweeping, and saw the scene unfold in front of me.

It was embarrassing. All of us who have lived on the island know the drill about parking tickets and those visiting can clearly see the signs but to see residents yell and swear at the parking-control officer for doing her job, and to see grown men and a woman stand on the street and curse at her and make obscene gestures, repeatedly, made me embarrassed to be a neighbor.

I pulled up to one of the gentlemen who was cursing and asked him why he was doing that, especially when everyone knew they had to move their vehicles. He gave a weak excuse about not finding a place the night before and brushed me aside to get back to his yelling and cursing.

It was embarrassing. However, in the midst of all of this, the parking-control officer not once showed anything but professionalism in spite of people running up to take pictures of her with their cell phones and yelling and swearing. It was something out of “The Jerry Springer Show,” and the only person who showed restraint, professionalism, and class, was the Newport Beach parking control officer. I’ll take her as a neighbor any day.

Walt Snyder

Balboa Island

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That’s not Page 1 news

Re. “Not-so-blessed event,” Jan. 9: The Pilot’s lead story is about a stolen diaper bag? Groan. This sets a new standard for a slow news day. Only in Newport Beach would (1) someone have $9,000 worth of stuff in a diaper bag and (2) there be public sympathy for losing a $9,000 diaper bag. Yes, it’s great the police recovered the items but they probably spent thousands of public dollars to recover these items and others. Here’s to the return of common sense — and the return of real news to the Daily Pilot — in 2014.

P.S., Congrats to the new parents on their lovely daughter.

Susan Taylor

Newport Beach

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Let’s define ‘American’

Re. “City Lights: Documentary provides change from American obsession,” [Dec. 30]: “American Graffiti”? Isn’t that a particularly American movie? Is there such a thing as “French” cruising in small rural towns?

American Dream? That’s a particularly American concept. You get that one, don’t you? Being an “American” is different than being anything else. You and me can be French citizens, but we can’t be “French.” You have to be born there to be authentic, but anyone can be an “American” just by deciding he/she wants to be.

There isn’t a concept of the “French Dream” that anyone can grow up to be president, even sons of alcoholic fathers (Reagan), abandoned by their fathers (Clinton) or born of a radical Kenyan dad and American hippie mother (Obama). Those sorts don’t get elected to run France, Germany or England.

I get that you’re trying to make some sort of political point but you might have used better examples. Yes, the words “spender, beauty ... go beyond any national origin,” the way those words were used in those movie titles doesn’t.

George Turk

Newport Beach