SIR I am distressed at the introduction of ticketed parking in Waitrose. I have asked on five different occasions what happens when I do not have any real money on me as I use plastic most of the time? I have even written in the book at the counter to ask this, but when I went back to see the response I received a politicians answer: "We are looking into making the parking payment machines accept cards." Which means that they have spent all this money and the new system is not fit for purpose! However, I am also told that, should the parking machines be changed to accept card payments, it will cost Waitrose 25p each transaction. Which they cannot afford? Yes, Waitrose is a business and yes, they employ a lot of staff, but does this mean that suddenly their customers have it mandated that they must spend a specific amount at the store on every visit? Talking of the staff, who, at the moment park on the outlying streets such as Goldwire Lane and Wonastow Road. Perhaps they will now be able to stop clogging up the town's free parking and park in the empty car park outside the store. On Thursday I drove into Waitrose's empty car park. I did not pay for a parking ticket, but went straight to the customer desk to find the lovely young lady swamped with complaints about parking, dealing with dry cleaning and also the Britannia parking attendant. Recognising me, she said, "I know: you've not paid as you only have cards?" I was not the only person queuing for this reason. Change for the sake of it is not good. Was there any reason why we, the customer, were not asked about this issue? After all we could have voted with a green token in a box for a month and given the store a chance to understand their customer's views. Surely Waitrose should want to support their town and fellow businesses, otherwise Monmouth will become like Chepstow with an empty high street, not the buzzing hub of busy shops it is today. Let us not forget that Monmouth is currently the 'third best place in the country to live'. Our Monmouth Waitrose was by far the best Waitrose I've ever been in. What's more, it's the closest to where I live. Now, far from it being a pleasant experience, it has turned into a mammoth clock watching exercise. Don't even think about going for a free coffee, because that can take you over half an hour for 80p: so much for my free coffee! Don't stop for a chat with fellow customers or friends, it will cost you. Goodbye to taking your time and searching for things that Waitrose has moved around in order to get you to spend more money: because you will get a parking ticket. I have never not been able to park in Waitrose car park, even at Christmas. Sometimes just a little patience is required. I am sure there are some who abuse the two hours maximum parking but Waitrose should deal with those people and not loyal customers who do not break the rules. Even if they pay a parking attendant £10 per hour for eight hours this is only £80, which is surely more cost efficient than an empty shop, which is what they had today, and, according to staff, has been all week. I was against having the Dixton Road site developed with a Tesco and the like, but now I would shop there instead and so would many, many others! So Waitrose, you want our support against a large out of town supermarket yet hit us with parking charges instead. Have they never heard the saying 'don't bite the hand that feeds you?' (Name and address supplied)