Bad Experience at Pacifica Festival

Perhaps we may not be typical, but this is why my husband and I did not attend the Pacifica festival last month.

After reading a very small squib about the festival, we thought it might be a pleasant way to spend Sunday afternoon. There was no mention of an admission fee.

We arrived at Warner Park at about 3:30 p.m. We were a little intimidated at the sight of a high fence around a public park and surprised when we noticed a ticket booth.

Parking in that area is difficult at best, and we circled the park several times before spotting a space. It was a long distance from the entrance, all the way around the park. There was no provision for handicapped parking. My husband is disabled and has difficulty walking.

We noticed a makeshift gate nearby and saw a security guard there. We asked if my husband could go in that way while I walked around to the entrance and purchased tickets. We were not trying to sneak in. The guard was adamant--he could not (or would not) help us.

Since there was no practical way to resolve the impasse, we gave up and went home. I wonder how many others did the same.

Some suggestions for the promoters of this and other similar events. 1. At a festival (?) where foods and merchandise are being sold in a public park, it should not be necessary to charge admission. 2. Some kind of parking control must be available. 3. Handicapped parking must be available. 4. A six-foot fence around a public park is a definite turnoff.

MRS. E. FISHMAN

Woodland Hills