To the Editor:

I realize there are illiterate people in this world but, really, who hasn’t heard or read the “Stay at Home” alerts issued by the government? I have a scanner and I am out-and-about on Wednesdays delivering The Smoky Mountain News to accessible locations. 

Ask me how many out-of-state license plates are here and ask me when they started appearing. They are just as prevalent during this pandemic as they are during our town’s normal tourist season. They started showing up within days of the “Stay at Home” alerts! 

I have questions as to where they are staying. Did they self-quarantine for 14 days as requested? The biggest question is, why?

Apparently, we don’t need outside help spreading COVID-19, but then I look around I see plates from Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, California, etc. 

It isn’t that I don’t appreciate the support for Waynesville and its surrounding areas, but somehow this doesn’t seem to be the appropriate time. All I can say is, well, you’re here now so follow the rules and be respectful. I would prefer to live for a while longer. 

Kathy Singletary

Waynesville