Disregard for Parking Regulations

While eating lunch at Bagel Chateau today I noticed a car parked in the crosswalk in front of Arturo's and Sprout. I should say I actually had to walk around said car on my way to BC. After I got my sandwich I saw a woman come out of Sprout and get into her car and drive off. In an instant another car pulled into the very same non-spot. Guess where the driver went? Into Sprout. When I finished my sandwich about 15 minutes later the car was still there. As I walked around the second car to disregard the crosswalk imagine my surprise when I saw a Maplewood Township employee parking tag hanging from the rearview mirror. I was tempted to call the police but what good would that have done?


It wasn't me this morning, but I'm guilty of doing the same thing on occasion.   LOL   


Amused said:
While eating lunch at Bagel Chateau today I noticed a car parked in the crosswalk in front of Arturo's and Sprout. I should say I actually had to walk around said car on my way to BC. After I got my sandwich I saw a woman come out of Sprout and get into her car and drive off. In an instant another car pulled into the very same non-spot. Guess where the driver went? Into Sprout. When I finished my sandwich about 15 minutes later the car was still there. As I walked around the second car to disregard the crosswalk imagine my surprise when I saw a Maplewood Township employee parking tag hanging from the rearview mirror. I was tempted to call the police but what good would that have done?

It would have established a record that the crosswalk has turned into a parking space.  The newly formed traffic division should be able to address this and other motor vehicle issues in the Village. 

Parking in the crosswalk may not seem so serious to motorists looking for a parking space in front of their destination; but, it makes it very dangerous for persons trying to cross Maplewood Avenue at Baker Street.  The practice of parking in the yellow striped area just north of that crosswalk also poses a danger to pedestrians.  Cars traveling on Maplewood Avenue cannot see pedestrians crossing there in time to stop safely and pedestrians crossing in that crosswalk cannot see passing vehicles until said pedestrians are in the middle of the road which may make it too late to avoid a pedestrian/vehicle collision.


I politely asked someone parked there to please not block the crosswalk, and was shouted at in a most unpleasant way, from across the street. Because it was just for a few minutes.


j_r said:
I politely asked someone parked there to please not block the crosswalk, and was shouted at in a most unpleasant way, from across the street. Because it was just for a few minutes.

 Ask the traffic ticket people what is the most frequent excuse they are given


any time this is brought up on Facebook, it seems the most typical response is for people to ridicule the complaint as a "first world problem" and belittle the person making it by telling them "if this is the worst thing to happen to you..."

But it really is dangerous for people to block visibility of crosswalks.  Sure, it's not a problem on the order of being diagnosed with cancer, or getting divorced.  But if any of us get clipped by a car that didn't see us crossing the street, it sure as hell IS a problem for us.

but the ridicule isn't surprising.  Entitled people who ignore parking regulations or driving laws for their own selfish purposes are of course going to turn this back on the people who point it out.


Apologies for recycling an old parking story.  A couple of years ago, I was crossing Maplewood Ave. from Kings over towards the old, classic Post Office.  A car traveling north, going out of the Village, stopped as I was in the crosswalk.  I continued in the crosswalk, but backed away quickly as that car then turned to the left, going over the crosswalk, to park in front of Kings - not in a spot, but next to the last spot with the back of the car hanging over the crosswalk.

That's a "three-fer" in the traffic violation department.  As a bonus, the driver gets out of the car to say to me, "Did you do that on purpose?" as if I was deliberately trying to get hit.

Sure, it's not the worst problem in the world.  But if drivers can't pay attention to any of the f*cking lines, they shouldn't be driving, because eventually someone will die and everyone will be saying, "How could we prevent this?"


here's a story I've repeated a few times, so apologies if people who have seen it before are getting bored with it.  But the other response I get on FB is people telling me that I need to be more careful when I'm a pedestrian.  That if I'm being vigilant, and expecting the worst, nothing will happen to me.  Well, sometimes that doesn't work.  Las summer I parked on Inwood across from Tratorria.  There were cars parked illegally on the left.  As I got out of my car, I was almost hit by  a person whipping around making a right off Maplewood Ave.  The person didn't expect illegally cars parked on the left, and swerved right toward me.  Another step, and I would have been clobbered.  Yes, the driver was likely going too fast for a turn onto a side street.  But it was the illegally parked cars that created the unsafe situation.  And no amount of vigilance on my part would have prepared me for that.  Yes, it's a "first world problem" on one level.  But having my leg broken, or worse, would be a pretty big problem for me.  And all because some asshats didn't want to park at the Woodland or in the BoA lot and walk a hundred yards or less to pick up their pies.


As a hyper-aware and super careful driver (probably neurotically so) there’s no excuse for blocking visibility of pedestrians and the drivers who love them by sticking your car wherever you feel like.


I almost hit someone with the combo platter of a double parked SUV and a jaywalking parent with her kid. In a situation like that you have to drive like someone IS going to step in front of you and lo and behold she did.


She was mad. I understand. Realizing that your safe travel onward had everything to do with a driver that assumed carelessness on behalf of others is humbling. After absorbing some abuse I finally responded, “use a crosswalk, it’s 25 feet away, especially with a child”.


Never would have happened if some *** didn’t decide to “just run in for a minute”.


Should go without saying- I’m not bragging about being super driver. I drive the way even the dumbest person behind the wheel should- with a sincere appreciation of how badly things can go if someone is out to lunch behind the wheel.


Two weeks ago, dropping off a friend at the train station (park side).  

One large SUV was stopped in front of the station.  Not in the fire line (with yellow diagonal markings), but in the road way. 

A second large SUB was stopped next to it, but with a gap of 4-5' between them.  The drivers were happily chatting with each other, leaving one very skinny lane for the remaining station traffic (which was backed up back to Oakview).



I think I have posted this before, but my favorite is parking in front of Trattoria when people have an Italian Food emergency 


Please don't call police.  Americans are addicted to calling when they are bothered or "uncomfortable", which has led to untold tragedies and incarcerations.  Just keep on steppin'


If a SUV, truck or van is parked in the last legal parking space before the crosswalk on Maplewood Ave. by Arturo's, pedestrian visibility becomes a problem.  That space should be reserved for sedans or compact cars or motorcycles, so drivers can see the pedestrians trying to use the crosswalks.  The other pet peeve I have is when drivers are making illegal left turns into the angled parking spaces (which usually takes time to straighten out the car); even when I gesture to the sign (right next to them) that prohibits such turns, I usually either get a look of indifference, an annoyed look, or some other reaction that indicates the driver has no intention to pay attention to the sign.  My theory is that their convenience is paramount to the interests of any others around them. IMHO, there should be more ticketing for these kinds of infractions.


ebr95 said:
If a SUV, truck or van is parked in the last legal parking space before the crosswalk on Maplewood Ave. by Arturo's, pedestrian visibility becomes a problem.  That space should be reserved for sedans or compact cars or motorcycles, so drivers can see the pedestrians trying to use the crosswalks.  The other pet peeve I have is when drivers are making illegal left turns into the angled parking spaces (which usually takes time to straighten out the car); even when I gesture to the sign (right next to them) that prohibits such turns, I usually either get a look of indifference, an annoyed look, or some other reaction that indicates the driver has no intention to pay attention to the sign.  My theory is that their convenience is paramount to the interests of any others around them. IMHO, there should be more ticketing for these kinds of infractions.

 Oh they see the sign, and they agree that it’s a good rule, but.... it’s THEM, don’t you see? 


“I know that the sign applies to everyone, but in my defense, it’s ME. Wouldn’t you agree that changes things?”


I do not understand this "first world problem" criticism. We live in the first world. We live in Maplewood. It's a local problem about which we locals can have an effect.

We cannot solve the Syrian refugee problem. At most we can make a charitable contribution. But if enough of us complain to the Police and Township Committee about illegal parking eventually it will be reduced or maybe stopped altogether.

As usual Joan Crystal is absolutely correct:

joan_crystal said:


Amused said:
As I walked around the second car to disregard the crosswalk imagine my surprise when I saw a Maplewood Township employee parking tag hanging from the rearview mirror. I was tempted to call the police but what good would that have done?
It would have established a record that the crosswalk has turned into a parking space.  The newly formed traffic division should be able to address this and other motor vehicle issues in the Village. 

 


I totally agree with you.  There are more serious problems in the world but this affects all of us locally.  It's a quality of life issue.  It's infuriating having to try to cross a blocked crosswalk with a stroller because someone can't be bothered to park a little further.   

Where is the traffic division?  I see illegal parking all the time in Maplewood Village and never see anything enforced.  I'd be happy to write an email to the TC to complain.  Does anyone know which member of the TC would be best to email over this issue?  

LOST said:
I do not understand this "first world problem" criticism. We live in the first world. We live in Maplewood. It's a local problem about which we locals can have an effect.
We cannot solve the Syrian refugee problem. At most we can make a charitable contribution. But if enough of us complain to the Police and Township Committee about illegal parking eventually it will be reduced or maybe stopped altogether.
As usual Joan Crystal is absolutely correct:
joan_crystal said:

Amused said:
As I walked around the second car to disregard the crosswalk imagine my surprise when I saw a Maplewood Township employee parking tag hanging from the rearview mirror. I was tempted to call the police but what good would that have done?
It would have established a record that the crosswalk has turned into a parking space.  The newly formed traffic division should be able to address this and other motor vehicle issues in the Village. 
 

 


Photos! I want photos!

-s.


The Township does NOTHING to enforce parking and traffic regulations in the village.  NOTHING.

I'm sick of it. I'm tired of seeing the parking enforcement people parked in their freaking car in an NJT transit lot doing NOTHING.


Perseverance said:
I totally agree with you.  There are more serious problems in the world but this affects all of us locally.  It's a quality of life issue.  It's infuriating having to try to cross a blocked crosswalk with a stroller because someone can't be bothered to park a little further.   
Where is the traffic division?  I see illegal parking all the time in Maplewood Village and never see anything enforced.  I'd be happy to write an email to the TC to complain.  Does anyone know which member of the TC would be best to email over this issue?

 Email all of them.


Here's a photo for you.

A car illegally parked and a postal truck illegally parked in the middle of the street.


LOST said:
I do not understand this "first world problem" criticism.  

It's the entitled people who do these things trying to shame the rest of us into not calling them on it.  


yahooyahoo said:
The Township does NOTHING to enforce parking and traffic regulations in the village.  NOTHING.
I'm sick of it. I'm tired of seeing the parking enforcement people parked in their freaking car in an NJT transit lot doing NOTHING.

 So what is the job of the parking enforcement people? Going after low hanging fruit like expired meters? 


re cars parked in the left side in front of Village Trattoria - when they do this, the passage between those cars and the legally parked cars next to the bank is too narrow for larger vehicles.  So, what if there is a fire and the fire trucks can’t get through/in there? Are we sloughing that off as a ‘first world problem’ also?


ElizMcCord said:


yahooyahoo said:
The Township does NOTHING to enforce parking and traffic regulations in the village.  NOTHING.
I'm sick of it. I'm tired of seeing the parking enforcement people parked in their freaking car in an NJT transit lot doing NOTHING.
 So what is the job of the parking enforcement people? Going after low hanging fruit like expired meters? 

There are no parking meters in Maplewood apart from those in the NJT lots.  The parking enforcement people should be focused on this but they are also focused on other parking issues throughout town.  Delivery trucks constantly park in the no parking zone across from Park Wood.  Landscapers trucks park in front of fire hydrants (talk about what if there is a fire).  Cars park in the crosswalk in front of the train station.  Cars double park by the elementary schools during pick-up and drop off hours.  Cars park too close to the intersection on busy streets blocking line of sight for motorists looking to make safe turns.  Cars without parking permits park in permit only spots.  The list goes on.  The parking enforcement staff can only be in so many places at one time.  Usually they patrol, driving from one known problem area to the next.  I addition, I have seen them do crossing guard duty on a regular basis.  This is another reason to report a parking violation to the non-emergency number at the police station.  It will help the police department to see patterns (day/time/location) and use the parking enforcement staff more effectively.


From Village Green.  Emphasis is mine.

"Kudos to Maplewood Police Department for establishing a new Traffic Bureau. Wednesday night the Township Committee's Public Safety Committee received an update from Chief Jimmy DeVaul and Sergeant Scott Reeves, who heads up the Maplewood PD Traffic Bureau."


Hope there will be some direct line of communications to Sergeant Reeves.


tomcat said:
Hope there will be some direct line of communications to Sergeant Reeves.

 Post his cell #


How will the new Traffic Bureau differ from the old traffic bureau? 


Its first business should be to get rid of the pedestrian traffic stanchion traffic hazards on Prospect and Ridgewood --- or at least, take less than two or three days to remove the dead ones after they have been creamed while doing their job and lying flat on the roadway.


Formerlyjerseyjack said:
How will the new Traffic Bureau differ from the old traffic bureau? 


Its first business should be to get rid of the pedestrian traffic stanchion traffic hazards on Prospect and Ridgewood --- or at least, take less than two or three days to remove the dead ones after they have been creamed while doing their job and lying flat on the roadway.

 There is no old traffic bureau.  This is a new initiative.


On the "Good News" side, for those who are on bicycle or who couldn't afford to buy a car with a speedometer included, there is a new device on Prospect that will tell you how fast you are going. 


Of course, your driving will be distracted while you are looking at it.


Actually, this is probably not a bad idea, just probably useless. Them that was speeding will still be doing so.


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