When I was a kid there was a public service announcement on TV: "Cross at the green, not in between." I wish I could do that in Teaneck.
Over last Shabbat and Rosh Hashana, I had occasion to cross Cedar Lane a number of times. I made it across alive. This was no small accomplishment.
Barbara Toffler will be happy to know that I walked on the sidewalk and not in the street, as she has claimed the orthodox always do. But when I got to Cedar Lane... YIPES!
Seems that the walk/don't walk signs only operate, at least at some intersections, when a pedestrian pushes the button on the pole. Being Rosh Hashana, I could not push the button, so I was left to take my life in my hands trying to estimate whether or not I could make it across before the light changed to red. You'd think a town like Teaneck would know better than that.
Other areas of Cedar Lane have no traffic lights, but have marked crosswalks, with signs telling drivers to yield to pedestrians, as if most drivers give a darn.
While trying to cross near the 7-Eleven (I guess near Red Road), when finally a driver decided to let me continue across the street, the lady behind the stopped car layed on the horn and gave me and the children with me the finger!
So if anybody sees a large black woman with glasses driving a dark colored SUV with New Jersey license plate VAN 47F, tell her I'd like to have a few words with her and that she owes some children an apology!
I've noticed that there are large stretches of Queen Anne, Palisade and Garrison/Sussex without crosswalks for many blocks at a time. You either have to walk a half a mile out of your way or take your life in your hands to cross those avenues. Being we have a large number of walkers in town, especially on Shabbat and religious holidays, more crosswalks and enforcement of the law on the books would be a good thing for all of us.
By the way, I've never seen the crosswalk law being enforced here (that doesn't mean it isn't), but I have read of some towns in New Jersey using undercover cops to try to cross at crosswalks and busting the drivers who fail to stop. Food for thought.
FYI, here's the law in this state:
Driver to yield to pedestrian at crosswalk; exceptions; vehicles approaching stopped vehicle from rear; yield of right-of-way by pedestrian The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, except at crosswalks when the movement of traffic is being regulated by police officers or traffic control signals, or where otherwise prohibited by municipal, county, or State regulation, and except where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing has been provided, but no pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield. Nothing contained herein shall relieve a pedestrian from using due care for his safety.
Whenever any vehicle is stopped to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass such stopped vehicle.
Every pedestrian upon a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.
Nothing contained herein shall relieve a driver from the duty to exercise due care for the safety of any pedestrian upon a roadway.
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32 comments:
Dr. Toffler never said that you lying piece of shit.
I've also heard, but can't verify, that Dr. Toffler is a crypto muslim and an acolyte of Reverend Wright.
And those traffic lights certainly were installed for anti-semitic reasons!
Oh now you could not get one of those non-jews to push the cross walk button for you? Why didn't the synagogues hire crossing guards?
And by golly the cross at the crosswalk laws have been enforced in town, big crack down on Cedar Lane that raised a big ruckus in town. Don't you recall a large population in town complaining about getting Jay Walking tickets? Did you know that the cops don't even stop for the walkers in the cross walks? I have seen it on numerous occasions.
Being we have a large number of walkers in town, especially on Shabbat and religious holidays, more crosswalks and enforcement of the law on the books would be a good thing for all of us.
Make sure that your fellow walkers are made aware that the street is not the place to walk if sidewalks are available. Jay walking is not legal. If there is no sidewalk walking 4-5 abreast in the street is not the smartest thing to do, unless your looking to get hit. Wearing dark colors with out safety gear in the dark while walking in the street is not the smartest thing either, once again unless you want to be hit by a car.
Now I have a few cans of white paint and paintbrushes would you like me to drop them off for you?
And just who is going to pay for all those cross walks and new light? Not to mention the extra pay for the undercover cops staking out the cross walks. How much will our taxes have to go up to pay for this?
And just who is going to pay for all those cross walks and new light? Not to mention the extra pay for the undercover cops staking out the cross walks. How much will our taxes have to go up to pay for this
Why would our taxes have to go up? couldn't we get volunteers to paint the cross walks or perhaps some of those inmates at the jail-I mean they pick up garbage why not paint some lines?
Now we could also have the synagogues pay for the cops staking out the cross walks , just like the synagogue up on Queen Anne does.
Perhaps inmates can be chained at major intersections on Saturdays to push buttons for people who can't do it.
Perhaps we can use this as an opportunity to recycle those old cans of paint that everyone has in their basements. They can donate them to the schools so that local children can paint crosswalks.
Out of Rightfield -
Just in case it is not obvious - I think that all of the posts are saying the same thing to you - Post Something Intelligent!!!! Don't waste our time with nonsensical topics you are grasping for!!!
Once again, I fail to see what RF posted that can create such animosity.
About 2 years ago, a friend of mine was crossing Cedar, in the cross walk, heading towards the Jewish Center, when a Teaneck Police Officer zoomed (no siren lights on) thru the intersection without yielding.
The officer was actually talking on his cell phone (not hands free) while driving with one hand.
I promise, I didn't make this stuff up!
I'm not advocating more white lines or more lights or the like. How about simply putting cops out to start writing more tickets (every day of the week) and maybe toe the line on our property taxes at the same time.
well if the cops are breaking the law anon who is going to enforce it?
I personally got a ticket at the crosswalk on Cedar near American Legion Drive.
Did you learn your lesson?
Heck, if we give tickets to those who fail to yield, the crackdown should easily pay for itself.
The shul on Queen Anne is Bath Aaron. They hire an off duty cop, despite having a painted crosswalk and signs in middle of the road telling motorists they have to yield.
One more question. Why do we even need these signs telling people the law is to yield to pedestrians? Because either people aren't aware of such a law or because they don't give a damn.
Can you imagine a sign in front of a bank saying "State Law: Do Not Rob."
The shul on Queen Anne is Bath Aaron. They hire an off duty cop, despite having a painted crosswalk and signs in middle of the road telling motorists they have to yield.
If he is OFF DUTY why is he wearing his Teaneck Police Dept. uniform? Is that allowed?
They also have a traffic light on the other corner that they cross at. How many times have I nearly hit one of the Bath Aaron congregants because they CROSSED AGAINST THE LIGHT?! Way too many!
There are laws that the motorist and pedestrian must BOTH follow!
And out of rightfield,
How do the other jews in town deal with having to push the button on the cross walk signs on the Sabbath? Is there not an ervu(sp?) in town that helps you folks out in cases such as these? Or is it only in certain areas?
The eruv allows one to carry on Shabbat. It doesn't allow one to operate electrical equipment, such as pushing the buttons on the stop light poles. There is no leniency to allow that.
So you can carry and push in the Eruv but not operate electric equipment, interesting.
Now care to explain why a TPD off duty employee is in uniform working for the Shul and being paid by them?
The term 'off-duty' in this case might be a misnomer.
He is 'off duty' in the sense that he is not currently on his 40-hour (or how many hour week) he works for Teaneck on their payroll.
Teaneck allows its police officers to be paid by private individuals (or businesses) to act as forms of security guards and still be dressed in uniform and presumably have all the 'rights and priveleges and responsibility' of being a police officer.
I know someone who recently did this for a family event on his property to help make sure there were no issues.
Completely legal and allowed. For more details, you might want to ask the Teaneck Police.
Yes, I know that the employees of the the TPD can moonlight, but I was not aware that they could moonlight in UNIFORM, that is interesting.
What I can't stand is when I stop for the pedestrians on Saturday and they seem to slow down deliberately or stop and chat in the middle of the street, without even acknowledging my presence.
I'm not sure if they are aware that they are garnering really bad karma - because I can tell you that when that happens, I am not thinking very nice thoughts.
A nod from the pedestrians would be nice (and friendly), as well as an awareness that other people's time is equally valuable.
i thnk we have a lot more serious issues to discuss. i am back at teaneck truth.
1. Re off-duty cops working in uniform. This is very common and I've seen it in many municipalities (even in Los Angeles)
2. A minor point, but a vital one. It's not that Jews can't push the buttons on the lights on Saturday's, it's that Orthodox Jews can't. All Orthodox Jews are Jews, but not all Jews are Orthodox (in fact, most aren't). This is something I have to remind my Orthodox colleagues at work, too.
3. Using prisoners for community work is a great idea. In fact, we should make them work at all kinds of jobs -- it's called "Prison Industry Enhancement" and I'm not making this up, see http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/piecp.html and http://www.forbes.com/2008/08/18/prison-small-business-ent-manage-cx_mf_0818prisonlabor.html. While I don't think they would make good babysitters, I can think of all kinds of other tasks I could use them for.
I forgot to mention that not all Orthodox are Jews, either. Eastern Orthodox Christianity (eg, Greek Orthodox) is the second largest Christian communion in the world after Roman Catholicism. In fact, Orthodox Christianity and Roman Catholicism were one until 1054 when they split ("The Great Schism")
Yes many prisoners are making flight reservations, mail order catalogue reservations etc. I really don't think I want prison convict #145231 having my address, credit card number, name etc.
Now I have no problems with prisoners working in the context of chain gangs, manuel labor.
Hey, just cause Jerry ManuEl's team choked, doesn't mean you have to send him to the chain gang.
I think I'd sooner trust a few hardened criminals with my credit cards than Mr. Fuld with what he was intrusted with!
What a crook!
Publicschoolparent:
Generally, with Jews, the orthodox vote conservative, the conservative (and reform) vote liberal. Go figure.
As the noted, late sociologist Milton Himmelfarb once said: Jews earn like Episcopalians but vote like Puerto Ricans.
Do you have any evidence to support that or did you just pull it out of your ass?
Himmelfarb's quote is in his New York Times obituary, as well as many other articles
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/15/nyregion/15himmelfarb.html
He was, by the way, an orthodox jew.
"Generally, with Jews, the orthodox vote conservative, the conservative (and reform) vote liberal."
Any evidence or did you pull it out of your ass?
Here's the proof:
http://www.jcpa.org/jl/vp509.htm
out of rightfield said...
Here's the proof:
http://www.jcpa.org/jl/vp509.htm
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Do you have anything more CURRENT than an article from 12/2003.
Alot can change in 5 years
NYU poll: Two-thirds of U.S. Jews back Obama over McCain
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Israel News, Barack Obama
A new poll commissioned by researchers at New York University reveals that American Jews favor Democratic presidential frontrunner Barack Obama over his Republic rival, John McCain, by a 67 - 33 margin.
The survey, which sampled the opinions of over 3,000 respondents - half of them being Jewish - also found that Jews as an ethnic group will support Obama by almost 30 percent more than other white, non-Hispanic voters.
The poll sought to gauge the importance Jewish voters' attach to Israel as a consideration in whom they would vote for, with some surprising results. Of all the Jews surveyed who said that Israel is of "high" importance, 63 percent said they would vote for Obama. In constrast, just 42 percent of Jews who said Israel has "very high" importance intend on voting for Obama.
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Not surprisingly, the Jewish vote swings heavily in McCain's favor among the Orthodox. According to the survey, the Arizona senator can count on support from 75 percent of Orthodox Jewish voters.
The poll was conducted this past September, when the gaps in poll numbers between Obama and McCain were smaller. Given the recent numbers heavily favoring Obama, the survey's authors project that the ratio of Jewish voters backing the Illinois Democrat would swell from 2-to-1 to 3-to-1.
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