August 6, 2013-Tuesday-8:22 a.m.-On my morning stroll through upper Chinatown (lower Chinatown is the tourists trap Grant Avenue, while upper Chinatown is the locals shopping mecca), I noticed a traffic jam along the 1200 block of Stockton Street south-bound lanes heading downtown. The most notable vehicle struck in the traffic was a MUNI long articulated line 8X bus. As I approached the corner of Pacific Avenue, I realized the problem---a double-parked refrigerated meat delivery truck, with its side cargo door wide open with fresh slaughter pigs inside. I noticed the driver with a pig carcass on his shoulder crossing the street to deliver to the corner store. I also noticed just my luck a DPT officer in his scooter behind the traffic mess. I cross the street and walked over to the next block to observe what would happen next.
The lack of double-parking enforcement in Chinatown been my pet-peeves for years. I have even documented so many incidents of this very same DPT officer of not enforcing the laws due to some form of discount/gift for fruits or vegetables from vendors and store owners. I watched as the DPT officer parked his scooter right behind the truck, walked nonchalantly between the two parked trucks. He looked at the front of the vehicle...why? There are normally two meat processing companies trucks that makes deliveries in the area, whom constantly double-park wherever; including on the one lane northbound side, and he would not tag or ask them to move---because he have some kind of arrangements. These two companies works in tandem of two workers, but this truck is one lone driver. I know the operation of this area by heart. The DPT officer and I knew this truck was new to the area, therefore the DPT officer started to take out his ticket scanner to write up a ticket. The driver came back to the truck and the two had a discussion on the spot.
The picture is worth of thousand words:
Point #1-The truck is parked way over into the other south-bound lane, because he is unloading by his side door---he needed room to get the slaughtered pigs out. This the main reason why there is a traffic jam. Regular size cars can barely pass the double-parked truck, but a wide MUNI bus need clearance by waiting for traffic on the other side clear before passing it.
Point #2-With modern technology and these new ticket-writing scanner it take a DPT officer less than a minute to issue you a ticket, but this officer act like its a stroll in the park, while traffic is backed up! He is really trying to negotiate a deal with a new clients!
There should be no explanation required, either issue the ticket or have him immediately move, which after several minutes of wasteful discussion the driver moved over to Pacific Avenue.
Point #3-Noticed another DPT officer approaching the scene. This gets weirder as I stood on the next block I noticed a DPT sedan parked one block over and on the opposite side, with that officer watching the traffic mess in front of him. He did not leave his vehicle until the truck driver started talking to the officer. This DPT officer could be a senior DPT officer, supervisor or special on-call DPT officer. He came out with a clipboard.
This DPT officer must be following protocol, if noticed a traffic mess and not your beat---just ignore it. The correct procedure is never infringe on another officer arrangements!
He was just giving the other officer moral support or wants in with the deal...why? I noticed the officer returned to his vehicle and made an illegal u-turn, since it was made in a business area. But I realized that he had a license that clearly stated why he can do it---EXEMPT.
I also noticed as he drove pass another vendor in a pick-up truck, the officer waved at him. Thus I knew the officer was not here on official business but on personal business.
Point #4-Did you noticed the vendor on the left side with the motorized dolly cart. These are another big hazard in Chinatown. The vendors that uses these motorized dollies treat them like car, blocking traffic lanes and flying through intersections without any regards to signal lights. The worst offenders are those that drive along the sidewalk in the morning. I know nothing been done to regulate trucks in the City's, why would anything be done to regulate motorized dolly carts!
The final Point #5-The next block of 1100 Stockton Street:
Not one but two double-parked trucks!
I wanted to see what that DPT officer would do in this incident.
The answer: The officer in his scooter drove up the next lane, stop by the rear of the first double-parked truck and joked with the driver and waved at him as he drove by. The officer stopped at the second truck waved at the two workers unloading and motoring on by. "Selective Enforcement" or better know as "previous arrangements."
On July 30, 2013, newspapers and local television stations were carrying an segment on the problems of vehicles double-parking in the City. The main focus came from Supervisor Scott Wiener and on his website came the following statements:
"7/30/13 -- Today I called for a hearing on double parking at the Board
of Supervisors. Double parking can disrupt entire transit lines and cause
unnecessary traffic jams. I've called on MTA to report on enforcement, or
lack thereof, against this practice, and how double parking impacts
vehicular traffic flow."
Supervisor Scott Wiener even suggested that fines for double-parking should be increased to discourage such practice. The solution is really very simple...Enforce the rules! The problem is...Money talks!
