Simple solution – hire more staff

Throughout this summer, I have been commuting to Vancouver Island almost every weekend to see my ill father. There is absolutely no easy way to get there; but the Sept. 5 article “Olympics project will mean lines at border” certainly does not accurately report the situation. It states that there are delays as long as two hours coming into the states. There were actually delays of four hours, and that was before the Labor Day weekend. Admittedly, it will be better now that the tourist season is over, but it is criminal that this has been allowed to happen. There were miles and miles of cars inching their way to the border, both at the Peace Arch and at the truck crossing. I am amazed that someone did not go berserk.

Imagine that you have no idea when you embark on a trip to the U.S. that you might possibly be held up for four hours. Imagine a family with little children or elderly people. Where are the bathrooms? What do I do when I run out of gas? And, you probably have no idea how long you are really going to be in that line. Imagine the pollution from all those cars, inching their way along.

One time I drove to Sumas to avoid a three-hour wait. After driving east one hour, I still had a one hour wait at that border, but it saved me one hour.

My suggested solution is not nearly as complicated as the $70 million upgrade planned to accommodate the 2010 Olympics. Simply by hiring enough staff so that each lane can process three or four cars at one time would do wonders. Instead of just one booth in four lanes, have four booths operating simultaneously in each lane.

NONA ANDERSON