Wondering if something like 89 cents of each dollar collected for daytime parking fees goes directly towards funding of the manufacturing, installation and maintenance of enforcement related warning signs, kiosks, pay boxes, fluorescent placards, and the manufacturing and distribution of enforcement related literature, blank forms and documentation materials.
I have purchased a daytime parking pass for WA State Parks every year since the pass was first required.
I don’t purchase the pass because I believe in it. Taxes are meant to pay for parks. I purchase the pass to avoid being hassled.
I love the parks. I’m sure many good people work for the parks. Somewhere up in the chain of command, things don’t look right.
In the past few months, I have spent time in various state parks in different parts of the state.
Fort Ebey
The blacktop road to the beach is trashed and has been for years now.
A showroom quality fleet of vehicles are driven by parks staff on the property.
Are the trucks changed out for new when they are only 12 months old?
Oyhut State Park Ocean Beach Access
The parking area features ponding water and blacktop that was worn out a long time ago.
If the parks require a daytime parking fee, we should see parks that have been well maintained.
Fort Casey
Several years ago at Fort Casey in the camping area near the ferry dock:
All of the metal fire rings were replaced. Not a few that were damaged or worn out, but every single one.
How can this be justified?
Daytime parking pass fees are also used to fund the manufacturing, installation and maintenance of sturdy gates to keep you and your annual parking pass out of selected parks during winter months.
Park shown here (Rosario Beach) is located at sea level. More fees should bring greater access, not less.
Don’t miss our companion blog- found here: Old Man Blog
Port Townsend is a good walking town. We have visited many times to take a look around, go shopping, drink a couple beers, enjoy a local restaurant or pub, meet friends and family, etc.
Today we had to wait for the ferry and it was time for lunch. Several restaurants are within an easy walk of the ferry dock. Over the years, these restaurants must have done a significant business serving people waiting for the ferry or showing up in town just to visit.
We quickly realized that the county we were in would not let people enter to dine in a restaurant without proof of vaccination.
One of the restaurants closest to the ferry was clearly open, but the parking lot was completely empty.
The outdoor dining area was completely empty. There was no sign of life.
Like many other locations, they are looking to add staff.
The lunch rush appears to be dead. If the customers are gone, how will new hires serve customers?
Snohomish County – Trip Report
Later in this same trip, we visited a traditional Mexican restaurant.
A very active dining and cantina scene here. Customers and staff seem happy. Masks required to enter. We have been here several times over the years. Recommended for anyone who still wants to get out to a Mexican restaurant. It looks like the large cantina has a bit of a sports bar vibe too.
Visiting/Shopping at more than one Puget Sound area military installation
Installation number one:
Saw a Got Freedom? t-shirt. The concept behind this could be discussed for hours.
Installation number two:
On Oct 2nd, 2021, plastic bags are still readily available and in use. No extra fees/questions, etc.
Having/wanting a choice on plastic bags does not indicate a disregard for the planet.
A trip to the state park might be a chance to leave the pressures of the world behind for an hour or two.
Preemptive warning notices will snap your mind back to reality before you even start your visit at the park.
As I have posted earlier, the parks are not new to me. I have been visiting Washington State Parks in the Puget Sound area since the 70s. Today’s parks are much more about a culture of warnings and enforcement than they were in the old days. Driving over to the local state park these days is like asking permission to enter a military base. Stop and show your parking pass before you arrive at the parking area. Listen to a reminder to display your parking pass so that you will not get a ticket. Am I on a third grade field trip?
This was true prior to the current news Re: COVID-19.
Let’s get out on the trail:
A park bench by the lake:
Prior to COVID-19
Wondering if something like 89 cents of each dollar collected for daytime parking fees goes directly towards funding of the manufacturing, installation and maintenance of enforcement related warning signs, kiosks, pay boxes, fluorescent placards, and the manufacturing and distribution of enforcement related literature, blank forms and documentation materials.
“…Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. The agency is in charge of training all 53 law enforcement agencies in the state that have marine units.”
“An Island County sheriff’s boat was in hot pursuit as deputies on board that boat played the part of, well, themselves.”
Please consider moving towards a Leave No Trace theme when it comes to posting warning signs at the parks.
“…Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. The agency is in charge of training all 53 law enforcement agencies in the state that have marine units.”
“An Island County sheriff’s boat was in hot pursuit as deputies on board that boat played the part of, well, themselves.”
On the water/related:
Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs personnel during Operation Macho Swagger– a ride-along to let us know what is being done to keep the southern edge of the Strait of Juan de Fuca safe from B.C. incursions:
Wondering if something like 89 cents of each dollar collected for daytime parking fees goes directly towards funding of the manufacturing, installation and maintenance of enforcement related warning signs, kiosks, pay boxes, fluorescent placards, and the manufacturing and distribution of enforcement related literature, blank forms and documentation materials.
I’d like to think that purchasing a Washington State Parks Discover Pass means no further hassles as long as the pass is not expired and displayed while parked.
Enforcement and over supervision are the first impressions of an afternoon getaway.
Driving over to the local state park these days is like asking permission to enter a military base.
People who are willing to purchase a parks pass should face a very minimum in the way of hassles. Oregon comes out way ahead of Washington on this.
Clearly, these folks have no honest relationship with the US Armed Forces.
No one who has done time in an average military unit would be comfortable with everyone present being called a hero. Some units would be the exception, but for most people who have done time over the years, calling everyone a hero would have no connection to reality.
Reality, and an honest understanding of why we send The Troops to far away places isn’t what we’re about though.
This may all be some sort of post-Vietnam guilt at work. The guilt doesn’t seem to work towards ending decades of undeclared/unwon wars overseas.
The Department of Defense track record for winning undeclared wars goes back to 1949.
I’d like to think that purchasing a Washington State Parks Discover Pass means no further hassles as long as the pass is not expired and displayed while parked.
Enforcement and over supervision are the first impressions of an afternoon getaway.
Driving over to the local state park these days is like asking permission to enter a military base.
Old policy:
People who need to register to camp must stop at the guard shack to sign in & pay.
People who are in the middle of their camping stay & people who have already purchased a valid daytime parking pass use the lane provided to bypass the cars, RVs and camp trailers waiting in line to register.
New policy:
A portable stop sign has been set up to get both lanes of inbound traffic to stop and show the pass before entering the park.
Twice now, I have stopped to show the pass and then I have been reminded to remember to display the pass properly after parking so that I do not receive a citation. Elementary school field trip levels of supervision are in place. I am an adult. If I have done nothing wrong, please let me travel along without any forced interaction with parks staff. The parks are where we go to get away from the grind of everyday life. Let’s go with innocent until proven guilty sorts of protocols here.
In Washington, you may use your discover pass for two vehicles. Vehicle license numbers must be recorded on the pass for the pass to be valid.
Down in Oregon, you are free to enter state parks without being stopped and asked to show your parking pass.
In Oregon, there is no requirement to enter any vehicle license number on the pass. Driving a new car? A rental car? The church van? A borrowed car? Aunt Mary’s car on family reunion weekend? No problem. Enjoy your day.
People who are willing to purchase a parks pass should face a very minimum in the way of hassles. Oregon comes out way ahead of Washington on this.
Today- the pass is used as a credential to gain access to parks when they are constructed to allow a military style checkpoint at the park entrance.
Before the Discover Pass we had the original Natural Investment Pass. I have been paying for these passes since they came out early in this century.
My parent’s generation introduced me to Washington State Parks in the 1970s. Somehow, daytime visits to WA State Parks were covered by taxes in those days. We were able to get in & out of parks for the afternoon without any requirement to interact with state parks authorities or volunteers. The Park Ranger was the local expert and could provide info on beaches, birds, trees and animals to anyone who was interested.
Today- over supervision and enforcement is the vibe.
Midday April 15th, 2018
I arrive at Fort Ebey to get out for an hour or two. A portable stop sign has been placed at the park entrance. I stop and show my valid pass.
The response should have been Thank You.
We weren’t done yet. Having me stopped was a chance to deliver a mini-lecture/reminder that I should take care to properly display my Discover Pass when I park because a ticket was recently written for someone who did not do so.
I would have just driven on if all I was asked to do is show the pass- even though I do not believe this should be a requirement to enter the park. Reminders about properly displaying the parking pass and warnings about tickets feel like babysitting.
I told the park entrance person that I was old school and that I’d been using the parks since the 70s and that I don’t feel there is any need for a guilty until proven innocent checkpoint to look for parking passes.
If people have done nothing wrong they should be left alone to go about their day. Paying for the pass should mean not getting hassled on the way into the park.
Being stopped before parking to show the parking pass that is required to be displayed while parking (under threat of citation) seems redundant.
More here:
Wondering if something like 89 cents of each dollar collected for daytime parking fees goes towards funding enforcement related warning signs, kiosks, pay boxes, fluorescent placards, etc.
Nobody mans the checkpoint during the offseason. We are free to enter the park & display the pass after parking without any additional supervision or interaction with park staff.
Wondering if something like 89 cents of each dollar collected for daytime parking fees goes directly towards funding of the manufacturing, installation and maintenance of enforcement related warning signs, kiosks, pay boxes, fluorescent placards, and the manufacturing and distribution of enforcement related literature, blank forms and documentation materials.
Daytime parking pass fees are also used to fund the manufacturing, installation and maintenance of sturdy gates to keep you and your annual parking pass out of selected parks during winter months.
Park shown below (Rosario Beach) is located at sea level.
At Fort Flagler this past weekend- all vehicles had to wait in the camping registration line to show the pass they had already purchased.
I submitted a comment on this website (click twice to enlarge)
My comment:
“No delays or waiting in line for those who have a valid Discover Pass?
Not at Fort Flagler this past weekend- all vehicles had to wait in the camping registration line to show the pass they had already purchased.”
The comment was never posted/was screened out by moderators. 24 hours later the page was removed. The page was edited and reposted here.
Old policy-
People who need to register to camp must stop at the guard shack to sign in & pay.
People who are in the middle of their camping stay & people who have already purchased a valid daytime parking pass use the lane provided to bypass the cars waiting in line to register.
New policy?
Went to visit the park this afternoon- two orange cones were in place blocking off the lane normally used to bypass the camping registration procedure.
Several cars were waiting in the registration line when we arrived. Two or three cars showed up after us to wait in line. A large RV up front went through the complete registration process- was provided with campground maps, rules, etc. Looked like a friendly and unhurried check-in procedure.
The drivers of several cars lost patience and drove around the cones. I decided to wait the 5 or 10 minutes to ask what the new proceedure was all about. I got to the front of the line and found out that all visitors were being stopped on a busy summer afternoon and asked to show papers.
I have purchased a State Parks day use pass every year they have been available over the past 10 years or so. Never, before today, have I been stopped at an entrance checkpoint to wait in line to show the pass. Looks like purchasing the pass now means waiting behind others who have showed up to camp for a few days & those who still need to buy a pass- sort of like checking into a motel room- going out to dinner- then returning to stand in line again at the motel desk to prove you have already checked in.
Only a portion of Fort Flagler has access controlled by a guard shack. None of Fort Worden is controlled by a checkpoint, so people can find other ways to enter park property if they want to.
When the Discover Pass was introduced- it did not seem to be required for a short bathroom break:
Looks like part of your 15 minutes will now be used waiting in line to explain yourself at the checkpoint?
Maybe the parks are short on staff to check parked cars for valid permits. Maybe they’ll use funds from the new pass to hire more pass checkers and set up new guard shacks and compliance checkpoints.
Suggestion- when the cones are blocking the bypass lane at the park entrance- wait in line to enter the park, then park at the guard shack- holding up traffic.
Don’t leave until a supervisor comes down to explain the new policy.
Mystery Bay is not a remote location where the policy applies to hiking trails or primitive campsites. Mystery Bay is just down the road from a full service state park- Fort Flagler.
Mystery Bay has a picnic shelter which is fully accessible by car. Boats pay to stay overnight.
Mystery Bay charges $10 per day, per car to access the park:
I do not object in any way to pack it out policies for remote locations, islands, hiking trails, primitive campsites, etc.
My feeling is that state parks that are accessible by car, have picnic shelters and charge for day use should provide trash service.
Cat box theory- make it easy for people to do the right thing and most people will.
People are supposed to clean up after their dogs. If they stay for 3 nights on their boat- are they supposed to tow a refrigerated dog crap container to pack it out? Pack it out to where?
If a person rents a car and travels the US for a couple weeks- where are they supposed to pack it out to?
I traveled to Potlatch State Park a couple summers ago. The traditional trash cans had been replaced with a pack it out policy. A trip to the restroom revealed 2 trash cans worth of trash stacked around the trash can in the restroom.
Additional state parks rants:
No soap in restrooms. People live in parks for days at a time- preparing food, hosting family reunions, etc. Soap in the restrooms is the way to go.
10 day temporary Discover Pass (provided as a receipt for online purchase) displays all drivers license info- to be seen by the general public when placed on your dash?
Why must this personal info be displayed on a temporary parking pass?
