September 4, 2011-Motorists Driving 101---If you see a police squad car or motorcycle cop; in front of you, behind you or across from you...common sense driving etiquettes would dictate that you the driver would #1-obey all the rules of road; no speeding, no illegal turns and when coming upon a "STOP" sign---makes a complete stop. #2-no sudden or irrational movements; such as abruptly reducing speed, nervously wavering between lanes or engaging the turn signal light at three quarter of the block before reaching the intersection. #3-no free speech expression; sticking out your tongue or making the universal third finger salute.
This morning, the wife and I decided to take a Sunday's Drive with an added stop at AT&T Park; since the two nephews had tickets for this afternoon San Francisco Giants versus the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game. I was driving along The Embarcadero, which lead into King Street and I made a right turn onto 2nd Street. I was going northbound on 2nd Street, which was a one lane; while southbound heading toward AT&T Park and King Street from the beginning by Townsend Street are one lane until the last 100 feet it becomes two lanes---left side, left turn onto King Street only; right side, right turn onto King Street only. I proceed passed three parked cars to stop between the third and fourth cars to allow the boys to disembark from the car. I noticed the traffic on the opposite side was backed up almost to the intersection of Townsend Street. The problem was due to several cars was stopped by the right turn only lane to disembark passengers either to the baseball game or to the MoMo's restaurant at that corner, plus along mid-block was another car double-parked with no driver and the flasher lights on. The funny thing about this right turn only lane; the adjacent curbs were not painted red...must be a special City/business arrangement!
A police car suddenly appeared behind the long row of stalled cars on the opposite side, which must had made a right turn off Townsend Street. The police car then pulled over the yellow lane dividers into my lane, passed all the stopped cars and stopped along my side. My first impression---I am in trouble! The black officer motioned me to lower my window with another white officer at his side. I lower the window and the officer said...by me stopping the car there impede the flow of traffic (I have mention this very same ruling on so many occasions, when I have seen delivery trucks double parked in my daily walk in North Beach & Chinatown) and force cars behind me into oncoming traffic. I replied...yes sir. The officer added...I am also putting my passengers in risk of injuries from being hit by a car turning the corner. I replied...yes sir. My wife was about the say something and I gave her a hand signal to remain quiet. The nephews having already disembarked and the officers proceed along 2nd Street, while I slowly drove away in the opposite direction. I watched in the rear view mirror as the squad car made the left turn onto King Street before I spoke with the wife.
Rule #4-you never argue with a police officer. My wife wanted to know why I did not correct his statements. I told her a police officer enforce, interpret and constitute the laws. A motorist who challenge or question an officer statement would only escalate the situation, the best resolve is to...nod your head in compliance and response with one statement---"Yes Sir!" The officer have a urge of empowerment and a sense of educating a nincompoop driver. Let say I asserted my rights by asking the officer why he was picking on me and not on all the violators on the opposite side impeding the flow of traffic, the officer had the right to issue me a citation or worst had me arrested for obstructing the duties of an officer. We end up in court and whom credibility would a judge or jurors believe...a loud-mouthing Chinese or a over ten years veteran of the police force. The sad reality is how many motorists have their vehicle equipped with onboard video cameras and voice recording devices. The kids claims it would be a perfect moment to use the cellphone camera. My wife insist the officer was a jerk and "racial profiling." Chinese motorists do have a bad reputations & comedians jokes of being bad drivers!
The truth of the matter---double parking is illegal. There are certain situation were it is a necessities. A case in point is the 700 block of Vallejo Street; the Central Police Station is located there, half of the block on both side of the curbs is painted red with posted parking for police vehicles only. There is a Medical Office slightly across the police station; whereas motorists had to double park to unload patient visiting the doctors. I have even occasionally watch those wheelchair shuttle van unloading in street. The police officers understood the situation and never once have I seen an officer educated a motorist that he/she is impeding the flow of police traffic in the area. Sadly the Medical Office been there long before the Central Police Station was even built; it just show police services triumph health services.
The officer claimed that I impeded the flow of traffic and force car into oncoming traffic to get around me. I looked at the yellow divider lanes on that block; broken yellow lines on my side and solid yellow line on the officer side. The "California Driver Handbook" defined traffic lanes:
Broken yellow lines indicate that you may pass if the broken line is next to your driving lane.
Solid yellow line: no passing if solid yellow line is on your side.
When I double parked, there were no car behind me nor passed me. This particular block had broken yellow lines on my side, indicating a good chance a tendency of cars being double-parked in the area. The next block northbound along 2nd Street have double solid yellow lines divider. The police car passed on his side of the solid yellow line into oncoming traffic, because he is allowed to break the rule to catch a violator like myself. He was more focus on my action on the opposite side than the traffic stoppages on his side---easier prey!
The point of placing my passengers in harm's way was the officer intentions of assigning quilt and enforcing the severity of my action. He failed on both counts, except enriching my theory that he was indeed a big jerk! When I first made the right turn onto 2nd Street, the thought of stopping within the block would never happened if a sight of a police squad car approaching toward me. I did not stop by the corner but intentionally stopped between the third and fourth parked cars; knowingly to avoid an rear end collision from happening. The boys disembarked from the passenger side of the vehicle and stood between the two parked cars. If indeed a car making the right turn in a high speed and having to veer left from my double parked car would hit the police squad car head on! Life is so full of speculative situations.
My main peeve is the numerous times I observed and posted incidents of motorists engaged in illegal driving maneuvers without a trace of traffic or police enforcement, but on a quiet Sunday morning no traffic to impede I get a lecture on how to drive correctly. I just lost that fighting spirit and become just like every average citizens that things would always be status quo. I observed each morning a tractor trailer truck coming down Broadway and making an illegal left turn onto Stockton Street to be able to park in front of the Walgreens Drug Store for deliveries. The driver can make a legal left turn lane on Powell Street and then looping a big circle around to be in front of the store, but the driver rather do the easy illegal maneuver; much to the rage of the honking morning commuters. One morning I observed the Walgreens deliveries tractor trailer making the normal illegal left turn from Broadway into Stockton, and on my return walk I observed another tractor trailer coming up Broadway making an illegal left turn onto Stockton Street; plus the driver had to blow its air horn because an elderly Chinese lady could not decide if she wanted to cross the intersection or not. I observed so many motorists making right turn on red, with posted sign "No Turn On Red" on practically every intersections along Stockton Street in Chinatown. The normal delivery trucks double-parked along Stockton with signs posted "No Double Parking" and lax of enforcement. I can still recall an earlier post of the antics of Chinatown parking I had a photo of double parked trucks with a police squad driving right by them:
I cannot fault these police officers, since they are going on patrol and any call---might place the officers in a life & death situation.
Today two police officers are in a totally different situations, since they are heading for San Francisco Giants baseball game security detail; which most likely be a day-off assignment with overtime paid. I guess the officer was mad that his last day-off assignment was the last weekend San Francisco 49ers versus Oakland Raiders preseason football game at Candlestick Park.
A police car suddenly appeared behind the long row of stalled cars on the opposite side, which must had made a right turn off Townsend Street. The police car then pulled over the yellow lane dividers into my lane, passed all the stopped cars and stopped along my side. My first impression---I am in trouble! The black officer motioned me to lower my window with another white officer at his side. I lower the window and the officer said...by me stopping the car there impede the flow of traffic (I have mention this very same ruling on so many occasions, when I have seen delivery trucks double parked in my daily walk in North Beach & Chinatown) and force cars behind me into oncoming traffic. I replied...yes sir. The officer added...I am also putting my passengers in risk of injuries from being hit by a car turning the corner. I replied...yes sir. My wife was about the say something and I gave her a hand signal to remain quiet. The nephews having already disembarked and the officers proceed along 2nd Street, while I slowly drove away in the opposite direction. I watched in the rear view mirror as the squad car made the left turn onto King Street before I spoke with the wife.
Rule #4-you never argue with a police officer. My wife wanted to know why I did not correct his statements. I told her a police officer enforce, interpret and constitute the laws. A motorist who challenge or question an officer statement would only escalate the situation, the best resolve is to...nod your head in compliance and response with one statement---"Yes Sir!" The officer have a urge of empowerment and a sense of educating a nincompoop driver. Let say I asserted my rights by asking the officer why he was picking on me and not on all the violators on the opposite side impeding the flow of traffic, the officer had the right to issue me a citation or worst had me arrested for obstructing the duties of an officer. We end up in court and whom credibility would a judge or jurors believe...a loud-mouthing Chinese or a over ten years veteran of the police force. The sad reality is how many motorists have their vehicle equipped with onboard video cameras and voice recording devices. The kids claims it would be a perfect moment to use the cellphone camera. My wife insist the officer was a jerk and "racial profiling." Chinese motorists do have a bad reputations & comedians jokes of being bad drivers!
The truth of the matter---double parking is illegal. There are certain situation were it is a necessities. A case in point is the 700 block of Vallejo Street; the Central Police Station is located there, half of the block on both side of the curbs is painted red with posted parking for police vehicles only. There is a Medical Office slightly across the police station; whereas motorists had to double park to unload patient visiting the doctors. I have even occasionally watch those wheelchair shuttle van unloading in street. The police officers understood the situation and never once have I seen an officer educated a motorist that he/she is impeding the flow of police traffic in the area. Sadly the Medical Office been there long before the Central Police Station was even built; it just show police services triumph health services.
The officer claimed that I impeded the flow of traffic and force car into oncoming traffic to get around me. I looked at the yellow divider lanes on that block; broken yellow lines on my side and solid yellow line on the officer side. The "California Driver Handbook" defined traffic lanes:
Broken yellow lines indicate that you may pass if the broken line is next to your driving lane.
Solid yellow line: no passing if solid yellow line is on your side.
When I double parked, there were no car behind me nor passed me. This particular block had broken yellow lines on my side, indicating a good chance a tendency of cars being double-parked in the area. The next block northbound along 2nd Street have double solid yellow lines divider. The police car passed on his side of the solid yellow line into oncoming traffic, because he is allowed to break the rule to catch a violator like myself. He was more focus on my action on the opposite side than the traffic stoppages on his side---easier prey!
The point of placing my passengers in harm's way was the officer intentions of assigning quilt and enforcing the severity of my action. He failed on both counts, except enriching my theory that he was indeed a big jerk! When I first made the right turn onto 2nd Street, the thought of stopping within the block would never happened if a sight of a police squad car approaching toward me. I did not stop by the corner but intentionally stopped between the third and fourth parked cars; knowingly to avoid an rear end collision from happening. The boys disembarked from the passenger side of the vehicle and stood between the two parked cars. If indeed a car making the right turn in a high speed and having to veer left from my double parked car would hit the police squad car head on! Life is so full of speculative situations.
My main peeve is the numerous times I observed and posted incidents of motorists engaged in illegal driving maneuvers without a trace of traffic or police enforcement, but on a quiet Sunday morning no traffic to impede I get a lecture on how to drive correctly. I just lost that fighting spirit and become just like every average citizens that things would always be status quo. I observed each morning a tractor trailer truck coming down Broadway and making an illegal left turn onto Stockton Street to be able to park in front of the Walgreens Drug Store for deliveries. The driver can make a legal left turn lane on Powell Street and then looping a big circle around to be in front of the store, but the driver rather do the easy illegal maneuver; much to the rage of the honking morning commuters. One morning I observed the Walgreens deliveries tractor trailer making the normal illegal left turn from Broadway into Stockton, and on my return walk I observed another tractor trailer coming up Broadway making an illegal left turn onto Stockton Street; plus the driver had to blow its air horn because an elderly Chinese lady could not decide if she wanted to cross the intersection or not. I observed so many motorists making right turn on red, with posted sign "No Turn On Red" on practically every intersections along Stockton Street in Chinatown. The normal delivery trucks double-parked along Stockton with signs posted "No Double Parking" and lax of enforcement. I can still recall an earlier post of the antics of Chinatown parking I had a photo of double parked trucks with a police squad driving right by them:
Today two police officers are in a totally different situations, since they are heading for San Francisco Giants baseball game security detail; which most likely be a day-off assignment with overtime paid. I guess the officer was mad that his last day-off assignment was the last weekend San Francisco 49ers versus Oakland Raiders preseason football game at Candlestick Park.
