09 Sep I have yet to hear from the irate visitor but i did receive good news from a citizen
Thought I have run to the post office every morning eagerly looking for the parking ticket from the irate visitor to arrive in the mail, I have not seen it and am beginning to wonder if I will? Did he change his mind and pay the ticket? It he just going to ignore it? Is he waiting until it is past due before he sends it so that I will have to pay the late penalty? We will just have to see.
For whatever reason, the story about the irate tourist, his ticket and my response went viral being printed in a number of papers across the state and broadcast and radio and television stations. That was really not my mission, but fortunately it cast a good story about Beaufort’s hospitality and civility.
While I did not hear from the visitor, I received the following from a reader in response to my post and wanted it to share it with you because it projects what is good about our hometown.
Dear Billy K,
Thought you would enjoy my two recent stories:
I had company in from Savannah and we were out in our boat across from the waterfront park. A line was wrapped around our prop and killed our engine. One of us was in the water untangling it. Very soon after, three boats went by and everyone one of them slowed down and asked if we needed help. Our friends said: “Man, people are really nice here! In Savannah they would have blow right by us.”
The next weekend we had friends in from Hilton Head. There was a long line of traffic in both directions and at a standstill. We were trying to make a left-hand turn. The two lanes of oncoming traffic stopped so we could cross/turn in front of them. Our friend blurted out: “Really? I can’t believe those two cars just let you through. In Hilton Head they’d run you over.”
Anyway, that’s the stuff that makes Beaufort so lovely, and why we wouldn’t live anywhere else.
What about a new promotional theme of: “Come to Beaufort. We are lots of fun and really nice!”
Sincerely,
Beaufort Resident