Stop signs are not a suggestion!

amother

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 6:37 am

This happens consistently, almost every day and sometimes multiple times a day. I am not exaggerating. There are intersections in Lakewood where it is difficult to make a left turn. I do my best to avoid those - I’ll faster make a right turn and go around. However, if you do choose to make a turn, then you need to wait your literal turn. Problem is, people seem to grow impatient and decide they waited long enough and just go. Problem is, cars are coming and there are many narrowly missed accidents. This is not ok. That’s not how the rules of the road work. It’s dangerous, scary and so rude and annoying. I’m not saying that these people are for sure on imamother to read this, but because it happens so often, the odds are maybe someone is... It needs to stop!!

amother

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 8:57 am

amother [ Ivory ] wrote:

Lakewooders, please honor the rules, or we wouldnt move to your town!

Not excusable.

"Venismarsem L Nafshoseichem" is printed in the Torah

It’s usually the ones moving into town who are driving badly...

Mommyg8

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 8:57 am

Thank you, OP, for your PSA. I know it's not going to help, and I'm usually not a fan of emphasizing the bad in a frum community, but the situation has just gotten so bad and is at absolutely ridiculous level and it's just so beyond frustrating!

It's not only about making left turns, and I WISH they would see stop signs even as a suggestion. In my experience, people just don't notice them. At. All.

I wish there was a way to stop this, I really do.

FranticFrummie

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 9:01 am

Try contacting the DMV, and telling them about which intersections are particularly dangerous. Ask them to monitor the intersections, and see if they need to install stop lights or speed bumps in order to prevent reckless driving.

I'm assuming there are crosswalks at these intersections. That means that pedestrians are at risk if they think the coast is clear, and then someone decides to blow through a stop sign. Kids can be especially bad at calculating risk when crossing without a red/green light to guide them.

amother

Firebrick

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 9:16 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

It’s usually the ones moving into town who are driving badly...

Of course it is. The cats (nyc cops) are away ...

amother

Firebrick

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 9:16 am

FranticFrummie wrote:

Theyve been upgrading the intersections but there’s a lot of red tape here. Especially when it comes to state owned roads.

FranticFrummie

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 9:18 am

amother [ Firebrick ] wrote:

Theyve been upgrading the intersections but there’s a lot of red tape here. Especially when it comes to state owned roads.

There is a ton of red tape even in the best of times, but if the residents don't get together and push for change, nothing will ever get better. Get your neighbors to sign a petition or something, and ask for those intersections to be evaluated. It's the only way to get things done.

Mommyg8

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 9:26 am

FranticFrummie wrote:

That's not really the issue here. If everyone follows the rules, there would be no danger.

To call a spade a spade, it's New York drivers coming to Lakewood. And acting exactly like they would in New York (minus the policemen, as amother above so helpfully explained).

cbsp

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 9:31 am

FranticFrummie wrote:

FF it's really not so simple in Lakewood.

The community has very much outgrown the infrastructure (I really laughed at your mention of a crosswalk - some of these are state routes without sidewalks!).

If you have the time check out thelakewoodscoop.com which has an "ask the Mayor" post every few days or so - a high percentage of the questions relate to dangerous interections. Oh, and if you have more time check out all the videos of accidents that occur daily...

Mommyg8

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 9:34 am

cbsp wrote:

Yes, this exactly! If you have whatsapp, you can get updates of all the accidents, daily, on the Lakewood Scoop and on Lakewood New Network (probably more, those are the sites I know about).

Everyone knows there's a problem. Everyone keeps talking about it...

They kept talking about widening Route 9. They spent tons of money and a bunch of years analyzing the pros and cons (really?) and finally decided that it's not cost effective. True! We're just a bunch of frum yidden, we don't count.

amother

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 9:36 am

cbsp wrote:

Yes, and I laughed at the poster who wrote that people won’t move here if we don’t follow the rules. It would be great if people would stop moving here.

amother

Firebrick

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 9:46 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Yes, and I laughed at the poster who wrote that people won’t move here if we don’t follow the rules. It would be great if people would stop moving here.

I laughed at that too! I wrote it and then deleted it because it felt rude. But, facts! When you’re driving fine and suddenly a car roars up behind you, starts honking like crazy and tailgating because you’re not close enough to the next car. And it’s right after you pass a certain section of the 9.

I know most of these people are just lovely. But their driving!

amother

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 9:53 am

amother [ Firebrick ] wrote:

A poster here mentioned a certain section of the 9 the other day and I realized she is right, it is mostly in that area.

There was a story going around awhile ago about a guy who ran a stop sign and hit a woman’s car - she got out and started yelling how if she’d been killed, they would have come up with all sorts of reasons trying to figure out due to what grave sin this happened, when it’s pretty simple - it happens because of bad driving! (Not saying Hashem doesn’t bring these things for a reason. But you can’t drive badly and then blame accidents on women’s wigs...)

amother

Amber

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 9:53 am

I'm very careful with traffic rules but I agree that infrastructure would complicate any request that would further slow traffic.

Turning left has more than one negative connotation in Lakewood. Tongue Out

amother

Ecru

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 10:41 am

How do you know which location the bad drivers are from?!
I moved here about a year ago and still dread left turns. I'm much more cautious than veteran lakewooders.
I don't know where the honking drivers behind me are from but I'd quicker assume they're veteran Lakewooders that are more used to left turns than me.

happy chick

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 10:51 am

I live in Brooklyn, and I grew up on a "quiet" street. For years, the residents of the block fought for a traffic light cuz there were so many near-accidents (and quite a few accidents-the guy who owns the corner house put up metal beams so he doesn't have to keep fixing up his bricks every time there was an accident). It took over 10 years, but eventually they put up a light. It's very annoying cuz it is a pretty quiet block, but def worth the wait over the alternative.

amother

Firebrick

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 11:04 am

amother [ Ecru ] wrote:

Its pretty obvious what neighborhood they’re from! There used to be very few cars coming from that particular area. Certainly no cars driving like that!

I’m not one to pine for old Lakewood because those days are long gone. But when you’ve been driving down the 9 for years and the traffic patterns suddenly change in that manner, it’s hard to pretend otherwise!

amother

Sun, Aug 02 2020, 4:17 pm

amother [ Ecru ] wrote:

I’ve lived here all my life. It’s only since the influx of New Yorkers that the driving has gotten like this.