This New Bedford Taxi Stand Seems to Be Totally Illegal
A giant pet peeve of mine is when people think that rules apply to everyone else but not them. We saw a lot of that during the pandemic, such as when politicians ordered hair salons closed and then got their hair done on the sly or when they ordered people to wear masks and went without them.
Remember when Massachusetts Lt. Governor Karyn Polito told people not to have graduation parties for their kids and then attended one for niece and nephew?
Yeah, you get what I am talking about, those privileged few who are exempt from the rules the rest of us must follow.
One thing that drives me nuts is when people park in fire lanes in front of supermarkets marked "NO PARKING" in bold yellow letters.
They say, "I am only running in for a minute," or I am just waiting for someone who will be in and out." Those people rationalize it because they are sitting in their cars and "can move in an instant" if needed.
Parking in a fire lane is illegal under Sec. 23-8 of the traffic laws in the City of New Bedford, period.
No person shall leave any vehicle of any description, in any street or public place, so as to obstruct the same, after having been requested by any person having occasion to use such street or public place, or after having been ordered by any member of the police force, to remove such obstruction.
(b)
No person shall obstruct or park a vehicle in any fire lane hereby established under the fire prevention code of the city; and, it shall be prohibited to leave a vehicle unattended in such designated fire lane furnishing means of access for fire apparatus to any building within the city.
(Code 1963, § 14-139; Ord. of 9-16-80, § 1)
Cross-reference— Street obstructions generally,§ 22-12 et seq.; obstructing pedestrian ways, § 17-9."
It is up to the police to enforce the law, but store managers need to report violations. A store manager once told me he would spend most of his day on the telephone if he did.
What is even crazier is that the New Bedford's Market Basket has established a taxi stand in a designated fire zone that is clearly marked "NO PARKING."
Am I the only one that gets upset by people who ignore or flaunt laws about public safety?
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