Editor:

I would like to lodge a complaint about the "Stork" parking spaces found in some parking lots around town. You know, the ones that were created for the privileged people who happen to be pregnant or have small children?

What exactly makes someone with small children or pregnant so special that they deserve a special reserved parking space? Pregnant women need exercise just as much as anyone else and if they are told to take it easy, then temporary handicap tags are available. That is one of the many things they are for. A trip shopping for these women is probably not a good idea anyway.

As for the parents with small children, getting the child out and into the stroller or cart is not any easier in a close space than in one further down the row. If you're going to complain about the heavy car seat, don't. You don't have to carry the kid into the store in it. Carts are available for you to use with or without the car seat. They also have carts with special child seats on them.

Recently a friend parked in one of these spaces and found a note telling her off on her driver seat (her window had been left open a crack) when she returned. A pregnant woman had seen her park there and left the note. I want to ask her one thing. How can you be sure she wasn't pregnant as well? She is fat and fat people don't show like thin people do. She could be full-term and no one would be able to tell. Pregnant women who are overweight often have more medical problems than someone who is average weight. My suggestion is don't jump to conclusions when you look at a person.

Handicapped spaces have a purpose. They are often bigger for a handicapped person to get out of their car with special equipment needed to get around. They are closest to the store because handicapped people can't walk as far as the rest of us and there are devices inside to help them if needed as well. The "Stork" spaces have no needed purpose beyond making pregnant women with no serious medical problems feel lazy and privileged. It also teaches the small children to be lazy because, Look! They made a special place just for us so we don't have to walk that far! Those spaces are just another symbol of the "Couch Potato" generation.

PAMALA RUSH, Casper