Slap a Surcharge on Large Parking Slots

Re “SUV Surge Driving Out Small Parking Slots,” May 21: Whatever happened to personal accountability? This article discusses how cities are mandating that developers build larger parking spaces to accommodate those humongous SUVs.

UCLA student Jasmine Malek explains why she parks her Ford Explorer in a compact space with, “If I see a space, I take it.” Leslie Wolff of Los Angeles says, “I think they just have to make the spaces bigger.”

I think Malek and Wolff just have to buy smaller vehicles that fit within existing spaces. Where does this trend stop? Should we require developers to build spaces that accommodate a Winnebago?

Matthew Black

Long Beach

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The notion of requiring larger parking slots for SUVs makes some sense. A modest proposal: Design large spaces for the obscene displays of ostentation and add a surcharge accordingly.

Since land values are at a premium in California, space should not be wasted.

Gary J. Weinstein

North Hollywood