By: Billy BeerSlugger
You know something that really pisses me off is someone taking up a whole lane of traffic, stopped with their flashers on. This seems to happen a great deal in Philadelphia and an Avenue I traverse daily; Girard. However, that does not preclude this behavior from happening all over the city, on South and North Broad St and Washington Ave. as well.
I realize that in some instances it is necessary. I don’t particularly mind the box trucks that are doing deliveries because they really do not have a place to park. They are also big enough to see in advance and plan to go around. What I do not get is people parking their cars in a lane of traffic that are going to the bank, picking up things in a convenience store or just seem to be there for no apparent reason. I don’t see a real good reason why someone is that selfish that they cannot find some decent valid street parking for your 5 minute jaunt into a local business. While you may not think it fouls up traffic much because there is another lane, IT DOES! Everyone is in just as much of a hurry as you are and when you park in the street, blocking a lane of traffic with you flashers on, it narrows an Avenue to a street. People have to change lanes to avoid your obstruction thus cutting the amount of cars that can make it through a green light in half and causing problems for everyone behind you.
One time I saw 3 successive cars parked with their flashers on in the street while the owners went into a Bank of America on East Girard Ave. The funny part is that there was plenty of street parking less than a half block down. I don’t know if this is just accepted practice in some places in the city but it needs to stop soon. There’s no reason to stop in the middle of the street unless you break down, then use your flashers. You wouldn’t stop in the middle of a busy one lane street so don’t do it in on a busy two lane avenue.
I know the Philly Police have better things to do but I also know we have a budget shortage, I’d love to see some kind of ticket for doing this.