Today I witnessed something I thought deserved attention. A fire truck, racing to what could have been a massive fire, could not turn onto First Street because a car was illegally parked at the corner. To make the turn, the fire truck had to straighten out, backup, and make the turn slowly to avoid hitting the car. I was so angry, I took a picture of the car.
As you can see, the car is parked illegally. The spot is clearly marked with yellow paint denoting the space as one that is not for cars. I even think there were signs up saying ‘No Parking’ right next to where the car was placed. They obviously knew they weren’t supposed to park there because they had their hazard lights on blinking as if to say, “Its OK that I’m parking here, I’ll only be a few minutes.” You’ll notice that they are from out of state - Massachusetts (so you know they are a bad driver, too) - but had a parking permit on their dashboard; I’m sure that blocking emergency vehicles from responding to an alarm was not allowed when they paid the $5.
It says something, though, about our town where the parking is SO BAD that, to find a spot, you have to block intersections and prevent firefighters from saving lives. It also says something about our enforcement (or lack thereof) when people know they can get away with park illegally.I don’t know if there was a big fire that minute. But if there were, I know that the truck got their late because this arrogant jerk blocked the turning radius. Someone could have died because of a poor response time or the fire could have spread to adjacent buildings all because the rescue personnel couldn’t get there on time.It’s about time the city of Hoboken crack down on these illegal parkers. Fine them, ticket them, tow them. Do whatever it takes to get these cars off our streets so that people can live safer. And forget about the damage that could have been cause if the two vehicles hit! The guy is lucky his Pathfinder is in one piece. Other cars, haven’t been so lucky.
People of Hoboken: The problem with the parking in Hoboken is from over development. I love the way you want to blame your problem on the dreaded out of towners. I have been living in Jersey City for over 9 years and the constant finger point of Hoboken residents to the real problem, i.e., everyone else on earth is such a laff riot. Someone parked illegally and they happen to have out of state plates. Perhaps there should be a toll gate or passport required to get into your precious town.
There simply aren’t enough places to park. Buildings keep being built and there aren’t adequate street spots to park your car. Living here and paying a lot in rent, I find it ridiculous to spend money at a garage to make a quick run into a restaurant/store for a few minutes and have myself been guilty of parking illegally. Plus, I end up parking 10-12 minutes frmo my house every night simply to find a spot to park. Parking in this city is ridiculous. It’s easier to find a street spot in Chicago or NYC. Residents should not be forces to pay upwards of $200 a month for a spot simply because there isn’t enough curn space to accomodate all the cars, and Hoboken needs to recognize and address this problem.
The problem is there are not enough parking spots near buildings and you have too many people who own a car and take mass transit in the morning to work so there cars just sit there day after day. You also have people who park in a spot meant for two cars and they park their car in the middle so no one else can park there. Ive been guilty of illegally parking to run in and drop something off at my apt or a friend’s apt - its only bc there are no spots available. I think part of the problem is the 15-20 feet they have cut off on every street. It is not needed at both ends of the street - just the one end where you can turn - not the beginning of the street. Its pretty clear the writer of this article doesnt have a car that he/she has to find a parking spot or he/she wouldnt be taking pictures of cars
Speaking of parking…I am looking for the owner of a parked car that was hit several days ago in Hoboken. Please email me at kjhoboken@gmail.com so that we may discuss the particulars so damages can be paid. Thank you.
In my part of town, the most egregious offenders are off-duty police officers and PBA members who think it’s OK to park on a crosswalk or in front of a fire hydrant as long as they have a badge in the windshield.
While I completely agree with your disgust for illegal parking and the fact that an emergency vehicle would be hindered by someone who knowingly parked illegally, I have to say your post upsets me a bit.
I moved to Hoboken from Massachuetts about a month ago, and have not illegally parked since I got here. I am a good driver, and my boyfriend’s plates still say Massachusetts because he owns property there. I was just looking around the internet for Hoboken blogs to learn more about our new community, and happened upon yours. After reading the post above this one denouncing the racist comments so many Hobokenites have made, I find it interesting that you can, in your next breath, assume someone is a bad driver because they are from Massachusetts. It’s too bad that Massachusetts has such a bad reputation on the road, but it’s also too bad that someone so concerned with being fair and understanding could so easily go along with a stereotype like that. Yes, parking is a problem in Hoboken, but 9 times out of 10 the offender is someone with New Jersey plates.