I forgot to ask, it's been a while since this occurred. Was it a hit-and-run, or what exactly happened?
This morning on Thames
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It's more than wearing helmets, obviously. This neighborhood is my first home purchase, and in any other neighborhood I have ever traveled through, there has always been a posted speed limit of a reasonable 25 MPH (20 in a school zone). Neither of them are followed in this neighborhood. Having received a ticket in an industrial zone for a rolling stop (literally 2 MPH at the stop sign), I've been mindful of stopping completely at a stop sign, especially around the school & when school is out. Sometimes I come to a stop sign at the same time a child wants to cross, when I am the only car at the intersection, I wave them through and make sure they're on the sidewalk on the other side before I start out again (sometimes kids might drop something the street and run back to get it). I would rather wave them through so I can see where they are at all times before I move my vehicle. If it ticks someone off because I take an extra 5 seconds and you're worried you're going to be late to work-TOO BAD, you need to get up earlier in the morning. This is all common sense, sometimes the one thing lacking from otherwise very smart & intelligent people. Common sense. Folks, it's simple. The stop signs are there for a reason, they are NOT a suggestion, they are a requirement. I can't tell you how many times I have seen people completely disregard the signs, including high rates of speed in the neighborhood. Most evenings, I am turning in from Precinct Line onto Concho, & drive a nice & steady 20-25 up to the "freak" intersection at Perdido/Concho/Tyne (where I stop for an extra second to look an extra time to make sure someone's not flying around the Perdido corner). During the stretch of Concho from Precinct Line & Tyne, people have the gall to pass me like it's a 2 lane road just so they can get to the stop sign literally 2-3 seconds before I do, literally gunning their engine in the process. Speeding like this through River Trails, will result in a case like this where someone hurts a child or adult, and will only get you to your destination a mere few seconds faster. Is it worth potentially killing someone to save 4 seconds? NO! People, grow up and drive like responsible adults. The speed bumps in RT will not do any good unless they are steeper. The low profile already allows people to drive across as if it's not there. They need to be steeper like they are in store parking lots, marked in bright orange/yellow, steep enough to hurt your car if you're stupid enough to go race across them at 25 MPH w/o slowing down.
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I am so glad your son did not get hit! I have been upset with the traffic in our neighborhood for years. I have been upset with the traffic at the school and have even asked if they could provide traffic control in the morning. I have seen kids trying to cross on the cross walk and no one letting the kids pass. I see crazy parents not wanting to wait in line to drop off their kids and drive right beside other cars and let thier kids out - the kids cant been seen in between the cars. No one uses the crosswalk in the parking lot. Everyone should be made to use it. So many kids crossing from all places and there are times that they are just not seen. Its very dangerous. The answer from the school to help with traffic congestion was to eliminate parents walking their kids to class. IMO this did not help with the traffic problems or the potential dangers of a child getting hit. They really need crossing guards and someone controlling traffic in the front and back of the school. Hopefully they will next year. And hopefully residents will slow down in the neighborhood. I am sure every parent speaks to their children about the dangers of being in the road but accidents do happen. Children do play in the street or run after balls. I agree that we have some kids that don't believe in getting out of the way and just look at you - same with some adults. Thats why we all need to take the defensive approach. Slow down - pass - shake your head and realize your being the better person. |
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I spoke one on one with the Captain over the Traffic Division Tuesday. My conversation with him was summarized in an email. I shared with him issues in the neighborhood with regards to traffic. I recommended a couple of different ideas to assist or resolve some of the issues. He said he would put a plan together and get it expedited pretty quick. A few topics we discussed was: -speeding -stopping or failure to make a complete stop -delivery services (that promote speeding for sake of time and customer satisfaction) -illegal parking, etc. I will discuss in detail with him about school zone issues. I have never seen our school zones monitored by an officer and that needs to change. An occasional radar and/or observation of the school zones can make a huge impact on how people act and drive around the school.
Melissa McDougall |
