June 7, 2014-Saturday-8:38 a.m.-I have a motto…"Strange thing have a tendency to occur whenever I am present."On this morning stroll through Chinatown, as I was heading home along Stockton Street...
A semi-tractor trailer double parked northbound in the 1300 block of Stockton Street, between Broadway and Vallejo Street, as the workers just rolled out the unloading ramp. The truck company-"McLane Distribution Services"and making deliveries to the nearby "Walgreens" at 1344 Stockton Street. This company have the distinction of double parking along the 600 block of Vallejo Street, causing a big traffic mess between westbound Columbus Avenue and eastbound Stockton Street cars.
A major factor why the driver of truck decided today to double park along Stockton Street could be the SFPD Central Station located at 766 Vallejo Street, they might been previously informed not to block the 600 block of Vallejo Street---nope! The truth could most likely be that the driver drove eastbound on Broadway and make the illegal left turn onto Stockton Street and decided since nobody cares, why not make it two for two and just double park right in front of the place! My job is to make the delivery and heck with you all!
This stretch of Stockton Street have long been a traffic nightmare for MUNI buses. The SFMTA-San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency; the usage of acronyms have skyrocketed because of increase usage of text messaging! This City's agency came up with a plan to reduce travel times and enhance reliability of the MUNI buses. It was called TEP-Transit Effectiveness Project; to identify the trouble areas. Then the TTRPs-Travel Time Reduction Proposals; to specifically address the problems. In layman terms…all BS, lined someone pockets and fleece the taxpayers!
San Franciscians knows how bad SFMTA acted during the Monday June 2nd MUNI drivers sickout! The agency claimed had no clue the drivers would stage a protest of having to pay into their own pension, but the sickout started Friday May 30th, when almost 25% of drivers called in sick! SFMTA management must thought 25% drivers sickout is just a normal Friday occurrence. The public been so used to late or missing buses that it was just a normal Friday commute. The following Monday 75% of drivers called in sick and Tuesday 50% of the drivers called in sick. The SFMTA and the Mayor came out that drivers only be paid if he/she came back with a doctor note. I had to chuckle on that great move, since if I was a driver that been told in order to be paid for one or two days of sick call; I tell my doctor of having stress related issue with driving a bus, which required at least 7 to 10 days rest!
Now back to the so called bus lines 30 Stockton and 45 Union TTRPs as related to this section of Stockton Street:
"Widening travel lanes on Stockton Street between Broadway and Columbus Avenue. Within this two block segment of Chinatown, the travel lanes on Stockton Street are too narrow to allow large vehicles such as buses or delivery trucks to pass one another in opposite directions without one of the vehicles coming to a complete stop. For example, when a 30 Stockton bus is headed northbound within this segment, it generally has to drive over the double yellow line due to the narrow lane widths. If a large vehicle such as a bus or delivery truck is headed in the opposite direction, one vehicle must stop to let the other pass by. This condition has made Stockton Street between Broadway and Columbus Avenue the slowest segment of the route. By widening the travel lanes through parking removal on the east side of the street, delays to transit would potentially be reduced."
The TTRPs claims that the street are too narrow and buses must drive over the double yellow line.
The truck is double parked over the double yellow line.
The TTRPs calls for the removal of parking spaces on the east side of the street.
The truck parked on the right side belongs to "Sun Kau Shing Company" 1352-56 Stockton Street. The truck is parked from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., never feed the meter unless a new DPT officer in the area nor move at all. Only time it moved is when Stanley Roberts on KRON "People Behaving Badly" had two segments of Chinatown long term parking for store storage trucks many years ago. Once the TV uproar died down it was back to parking as usual, since the local DPT officer is either blind or getting freebies. If the City's does remove the parking spaces on the east side, the truck just park on the west side.
The cost of a double-parking citation is only $110, for a business it would just be the cost of doing business in the City. The real question is whom going to tag a double-parked vehicle? One block from a police station and no one police officer in sight? A DPT officer…forget it…too busy trying to get fruits and vegetables at vendors prices. The problem would always comes down to "Selective Enforcement."
A MUNI bus navigating through the maze of Stockton Street, while enforcement agencies patrolling the area blindly and SFMTA spouting proposal that take forever to be implement. Just another typical day in the City!
