Chinatown Double-Parking Fiasco #3

May 6, 2016-Friday-I been harping for years and maybe one of these days I would finally raise my hands in the air and say..."People Lives Do Not Matter," but just not today!

On April 29, 2016-NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit had a segment on TV and its website about during the period of 2014-2015, 800 traffic citations were issued to private tech companies commuter buses in the City. The violations were for the following:
                                   Blocking bike lane
                                   Blocking bus zone
                                   Double parking
                                   Obstructing traffic
                                   Other violations
They even had a map of the City showing where each of the violations occurred.

The article stated that the City charges the commuter bus companies $3.67 each time they use a bus stop to load or unload passenger, and in July the price increased to $7.31 to help paid for more enforcement officers. There are 10 Traffic Control Officers assigned solely in the morning commute and 10 in the evening commute to monitor the so called 500 commuter buses or trips within the City.

This Friday at 845 a.m., on the 1400 block of Stockton Street, a Coca-Cola tractor-trailer double-parked for delivery to the Walgreens at the 1300 block of Stockton Street, near the cross street of Vallejo.

Single traffic lane in each directions, as MUNI buses awaits enough clearance to pass this double-parked delivery truck. Ten Traffic Officers assigned to catch commuter buses and the one assigned to this area is doing "Selective Enforcement."

The sign at the right side green pole stated..."No Double Parking Any Time-Commercial Vehicles Included."

To make matter worst, Vallejo Street is closed for thru vehicle traffic between Stockton and Columbus, therefore all eastbound traffic must turn left or right at Stockton Street. SFPD Central Police Station is located along 766 Vallejo Street, I noticed a lady officer driving a police van turning left and waiting behind 2 cars to pass the truck, and a few cars later another police sedan waiting to pass. Nothing happened to the truck, since double parking or obstructing the flow of traffic is just normal daily occurrence in the area. Wait I forgot the 'Enforcement Motto'...It's Not My Job!

Chinatown Parking Antics #3

April 30, 2016-Saturday-831 a.m.-I took several months off from venting my frustration on the "I do not care" attitudes of San Francisco City Lives. This morning as I walked along Stockton Street about to cross Pacific Avenue, I noticed a truck with a long trailer parked on the right side of Stockton Street. This vendor been notorious for one thing I been noticing all these years...come to think about it many other vendors and merchants does the same thing...using those motorized fork-lift cart as if they were automobile driving along the traffic lanes. This vendor is known to ride onto the motorized cart, while others would be walking along with the cart, plus he have a bad habit of beeping his horn as he goes barreling across the crosswalk on a red light. Today his truck tail-end is parked across the pedestrian crosswalk and his rear lifting gate is in the upward position. I noticed him chit-chatting with another vendor and 10 minutes later on my walk back home the lift is still on the upward position and chatting with a merchant.

The usual question is where the enforcement?

The answer is the PCO-Parking Control Officer assigned or bid for this area, would not cite this truck, any of the double-parked vendor trucks, or any long-term parked merchant storage trucks; because he loses his special deals on produces and products. 

This officer would normally park along Stockton Street chatting with vendors and merchants. Once pass the 9 a.m. time frame, he would proceed toward the meter parking spaces along Vallejo, Powell and below Kearney Street area. Metered spaces enforcement start at 9 am, and he would usually get his allowable tickets. I noticed he avoid Grant, Pacific, Jackson, Washington, Clay & Sacramento Streets; since all those metered spaces are occupied by blue disabled parking placard-another big scam in the Chinatown area. I was once told by a police sergeant, when the meter maids were part of the police department that there is no quota system on how many tickets the meter maids must write a day. They are judged by how many ticket are written in a hour time frame. If a meter maid had just one ticket in two hours within downtown area, he knows that the meter maid is goofing off.

One day several months ago, with my luck I forgot to carry my trusted camera that day. I noticed along the "Commuter Tow Away Zone" no parking between 7 to 9 a.m.  on Broadway, between Powell and Columbus; the normal scenario-7 a.m. a PCO cite and tow any vehicle in that zone, there would be no follow-up by a PCO the rest of the time limit to check if a car parked in that commuter zone. On any given weekdays, I have seen car with the driver inside parking along as early as 830 a.m. and by 845 a.m. most of the metered spaces are occupied with the drivers inside. This day I noticed a PCO Interceptor at 840 a.m. beeping at all the parked cars to move along Broadway. I was shocked to see this happening and I bet so were all those parked drivers. The officer did not proceed to the next block, but parked in the middle of the block. Why? I noticed a big cargo truck, which belonged to the owner of the two produce stores on the corners of Stockton & Broadway. The officer moved his vehicle and turned right on Stockton, it was that area officer whom cleared the parking space for the store owner to park his truck in front of his store. Getting discounts and freebies have its payback! I know that what this officer did is beyond his duties, unless he was instructed by higher up, which I doubt. Why? The corner of Union & Stockton have a tendency of delivery trucks double parked in two to three corners, driving through it in the morning is a hazard to drivers and pedestrians. One day I noticed a PCO driving along the area and asked him if he could move one of the truck to park further up or just direct traffic. His response was for me to call 311. I told him he right here and his reply that it's not his job. He claims he is assign to Fisherman's Wharf and this area belong to someone else. The old "I made my deals in my section and you better not mess with it" motto!

But wait I forgot, today is Saturday. The regular PCO is off and SFMTA consider Chinatown as the "free parking & drivers can do whatever they wanted weekend zone!"