It appears that the Salt Lake International Airport is out to fleece its patrons at every turn. The most recent display of this is the airport's current method of charging for parking in the parking garage.
Until recently, if one parked in the garage, there was no charge for the first 30 minutes. This was a reasonable and thoughtful courtesy. Now, the cost is $2 for the first 30 minutes, plus $1 for the next 30 minutes, plus additional charges beyond that. The chargeable time begins upon picking up a ticket at the entrance gate and ends either within the parking garage itself if you use a credit card at the machine, or at the exit gate if you do not. At one time, cashiers were available in the garage for cash transactions, but this courtesy is no longer provided.
Recently, I took my granddaughter to the airport to catch a 6:40 p.m. flight. I picked up a ticket, parked in the garage, saw my granddaughter through security, and returned to my car in the garage, all within 25 minutes. Not wanting to use a credit card for only a $2 charge I elected to pay at the exit gate. I arrived at the gate to find one car ahead of me, so there was a bit of wait. Upon presenting my ticket I was told there would be a $3 charge for 31 minutes of parking. No consideration at all was allowed for the time required to transit from the garage to the exit gate, or for the wait in line at the exit gate, and there was no obvious attempt to synchronize the time shown at the exit with the time at the entrance.
The end result is an unwarranted and unearned charge, in this case only $1, but multiplied by how many patrons? Also, why is there discrimination in favor of credit card use? I ask you, is this honest? And, what ever happened to reasonable, thoughtful courtesy?
Jesse Wilson
Spanish Fork