From the perspective of someone who lives on Hazel Dell Avenue, the Parade of Bands is not fun but rather a choice of being prisoner in your home for hours or leaving at the crack of dawn and staying away. Usually I’ll stay holed up inside with a mild amount of irritation. However, this year I had a minor emergency and needed to leave my house.
I was stopped one block from 78th street by an officer in a bright sheriff’s vest. “Didn’t you see the barricades?” he demanded, not waiting to hear my answer. Honestly, I didn’t — I live in between them. The officer proceeded to yell at me, without letting me say a single word; I felt bullied, disrespected and angry that he wouldn’t let me speak.
Did I know it was parade day? Yes. But I thought with an hour before the parade began I would be let through as long as I driving slowly and carefully. After all, there are numerous vehicles in the parade and they manage not to run over the children. I hope no one ever has a serious emergency on parade day while having the misfortune of living on the parade route.
Gemma Rapp
Vancouver
