An alert “06880” reader loved loved loved this weekend’s Blues, Views & BBQ Festival. But the ending left a sour taste. Here is the reader’s report:
At the end of yesterday — as my friends and I were all on a high after such an amazing weekend — I heard a story that almost ruined everything.
Paper Source — the store between Restoration Hardware and Bank of America — had every car towed that was parked in their lot.
They didn’t have to. The store was closed on Sunday. [UPDATE: As noted in John Suggs’ comment below, the store was open for business.]
Yes, they technically were within their rights to do this. But as the saying goes, just because you can does not mean you should.
The police are incredible each BBQ Fest weekend. They allow everyone to park everywhere. I believe that no tickets have ever been issued during a Festival weekend.
Cars parked behind Paper Source on the Post Road were towed during yesterday’s Blues, Views & BBQ Festival.
I could not be more upset that this was how the Festival ended for some Westporters and our visitors. Can you imagine a family, exhausted and ready to go home, only to find their car gone? An officer told me the charge to release the car was $212.
The police did not know this was happening until people started to call with complaints.
I myself am a rule follower. But even I would have parked in the Paper Source lot, knowing the store was closed!
I can’t imagine why anyone would do such a mean-spirited, anti-community thing. Someone said that because this is a national chain, with maybe a manager who lives far from Westport (and possibly because managers change all the time), they just don’t get it.
They aren’t a true part of the community, so they don’t understand that we are one. I am not anti-chain at all. I hope this was just some jerk making a stupid, stupid decision.
The only thing I can do is let “06880” readers know what Paper Source did.
And tell everyone that I myself will never shop there again.
Huge crowds attend the Blues, Views & BBQ Fest. Parking is tight — but most businesses realize the importance of the event to downtown. (Photo/Lynn U. Miller)