Dear Editor:
Last year I went to the Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day Parade with my wife and twin boys and was enjoying the Irish heritage I am so proud of and hope to pass on to my sons. The bagpipers and the parade were awesome until my boys had to go to the bathroom, and this is when the horrors of the Hoboken parade kicked in. Numerous bars with a long line and admission charges turned us down to use the bathroom. The rudeness displayed this day by bar owners is something I will never forget. We finally went to Johnny Rockets and waited on line behind a bunch of drunks who would not let my boys go. I finally drove to Jersey City to use a bathroom and vowed never to go to the parade again.
This year I went to the Nutley St. Pat’s Parade and it was lovely. Families, singles, etc. are made very welcome and access to bathroom facilities are abundant. Plenty of halls near the parade route have after parade affairs which are awesome. My boys heard bagpipes and were in heaven, and we also welcomed a newborn who also attended.
The Hoboken parade committee and the town of Hoboken runs a parade which I believe does a disservice to the people of Irish descent.
Thanks,
Bill Horan, Jr.