Fire lanes are for firefighters

State-senatorial rank has its privileges. But parking illegally is not one of them. And as a flurry of letters to the editors today point out, plenty of people — in and out of the General Assembly — avoid parking in fire lanes.

Unfortunately, Sen. Robert Ford apparently isn't a member of that law-abiding group. After being told by our reporter last week that a "Watchdog" reader had photographed his car on July 13 in a fire lane at a West Ashley shopping center, Sen. Ford explained, "It was the only place I could park. I wasn't in there more than two or three minutes."

The senator said he parked in the fire lane twice during that outing, once while quickly entering and leaving Home Depot, and again in another part of the shopping center while he went into a clothing store: "I ran in there to pick up a suit."

Sen. Ford eluded apprehension by the authorities, though not by that attentive "Watchdog" reader. He compounded his offense by being bluntly unapologetic about his willful violation of a city of Charleston ordinance that carries a fine of $45.

Sen. Ford said: "Every person in the country does it." He added: "Whatever, I've got no problem with it. If someone does, tell them to go call the tow truck or police."

Better yet, Sen. Ford himself should tell firefighters why he parks in fire lanes. If, as Sen. Ford contended, "every person in the country" parks in fire lanes, why do we even have fire lanes?

Frank Finley, acting deputy chief of the city of Charleston Fire Department, knows why we need fire lanes. He told us Monday: "They allow us access to the building."

Chief Finley warned that cars blocking those lanes "could definitely impede" timely responses to fires, concluding: "To leave your car untended in a fire lane is not a good thing."

Neither is using the ludicrous excuse of "every person in the country does it."