DONNIE WRITES:

"I haven't traveled much, lately, and even less to big cities, after living in them for 25 years.  My overnight trip to Dallas reminded me that city hotel patrons, nowadays, must buy "rooms" for the car as well as themselves.

I was charged $26.00 to park my car in Dallas.  Some years ago, a hotel in San Francisco charged $40.00 to park the car.

Both were historic hotels built in the early 1900's when there weren't many cars to be parked.  So now, they must store guests vehicles in commercial valet lots, often blocks away.  When I checked out of my Dallas hotel, I had to wait 15 minutes to get my car back."