Can cops start ticketing cars loitering in fire lanes?!
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
I work in an office in a strip mall, my kids' daycare is in a strip mall, and my other kid's aftercare is in a strip mall. Between the 3 of those, I probably see 15 loitering cars a day in the fire lanes.
These are not people actively loading. These are people who often have their car turned off, flashers on and are just scrolling their phone. Like they're waiting for royalty to come out of the grocery store. At the aftercare, spaces are very tight and I cannot back out when there is someone in the fire lane. I honk and nothing happens so I have to run out and knock on their windows so that I can back out of my spot. It makes it hard to see pedestrians and makes it less safe to cross when there are so many cars just idling. It's so bad that the county fire department has been pleading with people on Twitter and Facebook to stop parking in fire lanes. They even showed a picture of a car that they had to run a hose over. Not sure why the fire department can't ask the police department to do their job. Why can't cops ticket these people? Seems like it would be easy money. |
Anonymous
| It is illegal, but a low priority for limited law enforcement resources. As a practical matter if a fire engine needed the space for an emergency the people standing in the fire lane would move; they are in their vehicles and have not parked them and walked away, as you describe it. So it's a violation, but one with little significance in the big scheme of things. With most law enforcement agencies understaffed these days, ticketing people in their cars in fire lanes is probably the bottom of the priority list. |
Anonymous
| I would love it but maybe a more effective tactic would be to get tow trucks to tow them (I realize if the car is occupied it can't be towed) - but the majority of cars I see doing this are unoccupied. The driver has run into a store leaving the flashers on.... |
Anonymous
| That would mean ticketing cop cars, because I see more police cars parked in fire lanes in front of stores than any other vehicle. |