I thought the Fargo Downtown Street Fair this year went well, and we had a great time except for one business trying to extort money from the public.
The Great Northern Restaurant was trying to pull a dirty one on people parking in their lot. It probably was wrong parking in their area, even though it is used for events at the Fargo Theatre and other downtown events with no problems. We were interested in having a drink in their establishment when done shopping, but shortly decided against it when we saw what they did.
Homemade computer generated tickets were printed and put on car windshields informing people parking there that they owed a $5 parking fee. If that was the case and they wanted money for parking, wouldn't they have put a sign at the lot entrance? I wonder how much money they took in from people who didn't want a confrontation and just paid their dirty dues.
The so-called parking lot attendant, when asked why they were charging now and not for other events, responded that "this was the Street Fair," and somehow that would justify their actions.
Personally, I am not interested in supporting a business that condones the use of underhanded attempts to extort money from people. Yes if they had a sign with the cost, it would be different, but not this way. They were wrong.
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Bruce Lykken
Kindred, N.D.
