Car d'Lane, where have you gone?

I would like to vent my frustration on the totally inadequate handling by the Downtown Association of the Car d'Lane car show. I only heard of the mess of the cruise on Friday night, but can give a firsthand insight to the show on Saturday.

I preface my experience by saying I have attended the show many times with and without a car entered and have attended many car shows in the area over the last 30 years.

This is the first show in Coeur d'Alene I have attended since the Downtown Association took it away from the North Idaho Car Club. I had heard how the shows were run since the takeover and most comments were very negative. I decided to see for myself how the show was handled and was disappointed from the start.

I was told when I registered that cars would be lined up on Sherman Avenue from Eighth Street to the east and parking cars on Sherman would start at 6 a.m. I arrived at 6:20 a.m. and was lined up with other cars.

There were two rows of cars, and the lines did not start moving around me until 7 a.m. I made it to Eighth Street at 7:20 and did not get parked until 7:40. I was parked on a side street.

Once parked, I decided to take a walk to see why it took so long and why I was not parked on Sherman. It then became very apparent why I was on a side street. The Downtown Association had rented almost two blocks of Sherman to vendors, which took up many parking places that should have had registered show cars in those spots.

Talking with many participants in the show, it was apparent that all the Downtown Association was worried about was making money for themselves and not putting on a car show. These vendors should have been on the side streets.

Also, it became apparent that some entries to the car show were given special treatment when it came to parking and did not have to adhere to the first-come, first-parked rules.

This will be the last time I attend this car show and urge any and all car clubs — are you listening, North Idaho Car Club? — to find out when next year's show is to be held and have an alternate show so those car enthusiasts can send a message to the Downtown Association that it is not about the almighty dollar.

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S.J. "Gus" Johnson is a Post Falls resident.