Letter To The Editor

With the deadline for paper #3 just around the corner, I felt the need to write this persuasive blog about one of the topics that didn’t make the final cut. Honestly, this is what I wanted to write about, but knew finding research would be more difficult than the topic surrounding Facebook. I’m not lazy, but didn’t feel the need to drive myself crazy when it could be avoided. The topic near and dear to my heart is focused on a concern I have for the downtown area of Springfield, MO., that concern being…installing a taxi stand. I know that when I traveled throughout Europe taxi stands were everywhere and made hailing a cab a much easier process. I decided to write a letter to the editor for the Springfield-Newsleader. I probably won’t even send it, but I truly wish I could persuade the city council to install some kind of taxi stand for the downtown area. Here is the letter I composed:

To Whom It May Concern,

I am a concerned individual whom has decided to take a brief moment to make a suggestion concerning a public safety improvement. While I am extremely impressed by the efforts the City of Springfield has made to revitalize the downtown area, I am also concerned. The downtown area is filled with pubs, clubs, and bars…a dream come true for the majority of local college students. The responsible thing for your city to do is provide practical solutions for these students that don’t promote drinking and driving. My solution is to have the City of Springfield install at least one taxi stand downtown. If you have ever tried to hail a cab home after “last call” on a Saturday night, you can identify with my frustrations. Not only is the task a seeming impossibility, it can get borderline violent. Installing a taxi stand would make it easier for intoxicated individuals to make it home safely. There is enough need for one downtown, especially on the weekends. The definition of a taxi stand is: “A taxi stand is an area on a street where taxis line up to wait for passengers. Stands generally work on a first-come, first-serve basis, so that the first taxi to arrive on the stand serves the first passenger to arrive, and as the first taxi leaves, each taxi behind it moves ahead one spot, with the last taxi to arrive taking the last spot.” You can see how this would alleviate the mass confusion that exists in the downtown area. I think this is a very logical solution that would help the community as a whole. A recent study at Harvard University that is focused on reducing the magnitude of alcohol related mortality among college students states, “Over 2 million of the 8 million college students in the United States drove under the influence of alcohol and over 3 million rode with a drinking driver.” We can conclude that this is a significant problem that is plaguing college town nationwide, and there is an urgent need for expanding prevention. Our community should do the right thing by providing logical, inexpensive solutions for these students. In the long run, this will benefit everybody.

Sincerely,

Jennifer K. Hood

This letter won’t get sent because I know it could be much stronger. It’s hard for me to express my ideas thoroughly on paper…they seem so much clearer in my brain. Also, I wasn’t able to find much research on taxi stands. This being said, I know it’s a practical solution for the problem they have on a Saturday night. Maybe one of these days I’ll actually send a letter I compose. For the moment my idea will stay hidden in my brain until I can muster up the courage to send it.