Fifty-two years ago in 1972, I asked an out-of-town friend to compare New Orleans with Covington. Here is what he said, as printed in my weekly newspaper column:
August 27, 1972 Covington Sunday News
A friend from up North came to visit for a short while last week, staying for a time in New Orleans, then coming to Covington for about two days. I would suspect that his observations comparing Covington to New Orleans would have some value then, since I don't believe he would be partial to either one.
One would have to take into consideration the short amount of time he spent in both places, but his remarks would be worthwhile in a general sort of way.
I asked him the main difference between the two places. "The traffic," he said. "New Orleans is nothing but one big mass of cars moving from one parking lot to another. Covington is a little better, at least it looks like the people are going somewhere."
He found downtown Covington a bit more convenient than downtown New Orleans, with more trees.
One habit of Covington motorists that irritated him considerably dealt with parking. Whenever he pulled in front of a parking space to back into it, the car in back of him would crowd up right behind him without realizing that he was planning to back up. Then, after the driver would finally realize what he was trying to do, it would be a big production to give him room, since five cars in back of him would have to back up also.
He was also surprised at the speed at which motorists travel through the city streets. On one through street he found himself behind a car doing close to 50 miles per hour. When he saw the 25 miles per hour speed limit sign, he decided to ease off the accelerator.
I told him it was the newly overlaid streets that did it to people and that the police department was trying to keep the speeding under control.
He's the type of driver who likes to ramble around, and he was impressed to see so much construction going on. Almost everywhere he looked was the mark of a new building or a new highway going through. He did find two or three places of quiet that he enjoyed also.
The last thing he said when he was leaving was, "Well, the way things are going here, in a few years, it'll be just like New Orleans." Then he thought a moment and added, "but I doubt it."
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