Two Hours of Free Parking Would Save Perth, and Possibly My Marriage
Our columnist explains what an extra hour on the High Street would mean for his household's peace.
The parking meter, a ticking clock in every Perth household. Photo: Chris Woodrich, “Parking meter, Windsor, Ontario, 2026-05-09”, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Perth businesses have asked for two hours of free parking in the city centre, and I would like to support them, for personal reasons.
My wife shops at a relaxed pace. I park at a nervous one. Every trip into town ends with me jogging back down South Street, checking my watch, while she is still in a shop looking at a lamp.
With two free hours, I would not need to jog. I could sit on a bench. I could have a coffee. I could look at a lamp myself, and form an opinion on it.
Two hours is enough time to buy a present, get a haircut and meet three people you know, which in Perth is the minimum. One hour is only enough time to meet one person, and then you have to explain why you can’t stop.
I urge the authorities to listen to the businesses. Give Perth its two hours. Do it for the shops. Do it for the High Street. Do it for the men of Perth, standing by the ticket machine, watching their wives look at lamps.
The real story: Perth businesses' demands (The Courier)
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The views expressed are those of the reader, and frankly that's on them.
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My husband does the jog as well. I’ve never seen him run anywhere else. Not even for a bus.
— Helen M., Scone, 31 October 2026 -
For the record, the lamp was lovely and we bought it.
— George T., Perth, 31 October 2026
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