Letter: Drivers, please look out!

To the drivers of the Lakewood community and Lakewood Scoop readers:

Recently, like many of you, I have signed up for The Center Run. I have begun training and I see many other runners taking advantage of the weather to pound pavement. This is a beautiful thing.

However, I cannot begin to count how many times in the last few weeks I have been training that I see drivers edge into the shoulder- where the runners/ pedestrians/ bikers are – only to jerk back into the roadway in the nick of time. And guess what? They are still holding their phones typing up that text or scrolling down those pictures or dialing that call.

Do we need to God forbid wait for a tragedy to strike until drivers put their phones down?

I wonder if any other runners are having similar experiences.

Thanks, Dovid K.

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20 COMMENTS

  1. No excuse for any driver to drive in any way that’s careless, however runners/pedestrians/bikers should use the sidewalk over the shoulder whenever possible.

  2. I am also a runner and have experienced too many near misses to count. Selfish people believe their phone call or text is more important than anyone else. I wish I knew how to get this message across….perhaps your letter will help.

  3. What I have been seeing is runners – or ladies out for a walk, or mommies with babies in strollers – walking or running along the “side of the road,” often times so far out in the street that it’s not possible for the two lanes of cars that belong in the street to be able to safely get by. I would suggest that runners and walkers stay on the sidewalk – or go to a park to get your exercise and stay off our streets – which are meant for cars, not people!

  4. Pedestrians, whether walkers or runners, are supposed to use the sidewalks. No, there is no excuse for the drivers to not be paying attention. But every day I see people walking in the street, even the narrow streets, when there is a sidewalk 3 feet away. Everyone should follow the rules, even the pedestrians.

  5. As a 4th Generation Brooklyn – American who lived in NYC from 1953-1993, as well as in Kiryat Moshe, Jerusalem, I’ve never seen the chaos the drivers in our town cause.
    Now that Clifton Ave has been paved it’s bexome.the Daytona 500!
    The intersection of Clifton and 4th is particularly dangerous.

  6. Thousands of accidents and tragedies have come due to texting and driving, do you know anyone that has stopped texting and driving?

    We are laughing at Hashems face and saying ha ha you can’t get me to stop texting unless something happens to me C”V

    And yes this is a mashal to the thousands of non stop horrific tragedies hitting klal Yisroel and we still have not come together as one loving nation to do teshuva

    May we do teshuva very soon

  7. I’m a walker. Have almost been hit several times in the crosswalk, two of my neighbors have been hit, as well as the local crossing guard. I don’t expect things to change, until there are changes made to the roads, infrastructure, and more police officers monitoring the traffic.

  8. i fully agree that using phones is dangrous and distracting but it is a kidush Hashem in a way. The reason why so many people are on their phones is because all the chashuveh yungerlite are not on their phones during seder. This calls (no pun intended) for many many drivers leaving yeshivos and batai midrashim to use their phones in the short bain hasdarim that they have which is usually in the car dropping off or picking up children, errands, grocery shopping etc…..not saying its ok but it is a testimant to the leymud hatorah

  9. 1- by law bikers should be on the street (shoulder) in the direction of traffic flow.
    2- other than for an emergency call such as 911 or hatzolah there is no excuse for any driver to be holding a cell phone on the street& it’s illegal.
    3- Walkers and runners belong on a sidewalk and not the street unless there’s nowhere else to walk. I am particular not to walk on people’s grass. However when there is no sidewalk, then I feel justified in walking on the Township’s right of way which is generally the area where the sidewalk should be until the curb.
    4- Lakewood has put curb cuts throughout the town to facilitate carriages, wheelchairs, pedestrians Etc

  10. First of all, thanx for helping the center- as a parent of a special needs child Im extremely grateful for all those that support this wonderful institution. Secondly, and Ive been saying for yrs: Many of us do NOT take advantage of our wonderful surroundings. This is NOT brooklyn. We hve a beautiful lake in middle of our town. If you have time to drive 8-10 min, you can go to Manasquan (or Brick) reservoir for a gorgeous, scenic run/walk. Have a little more time ? The Atlantic Ocean, yes, the one you would make a Bracha on if you didn’t see it for 30 days, is 20-25 minutes from most points of our town. So, I know the drivers are wrong, absolutely, but, if you need to walk, go some place close & beautiful. Happy Running !!

  11. my main ? is how did we survive BARUCH HASHEM without cell phones? Its fine to use it in an emergency CHAS VASHOLEM. but other than that it should be strictly forbidden, Have A GOOD SHABBOS, At least on SHabbos we do not use the phone.

  12. I hold my breath daily when I see kids riding their bikes on the shoulder of the road (often in places where there is no sidewalk so they have no other choice) and a car comes speeding along and decides to pass the car in front of him that is turning left on the right shoulder. He has no visibility to see those kids on bikes up ahead on the shoulder.

  13. I think I saw you running in the evening without a reflector! its a true danger, please don’t be so irresponsible and negligent, and start wearing reflectors so drivers can see you! P.S. don’t forget sidewalks or trails are for runners not the street. You can join the many of us that run around the reservoir.

  14. If you read the letter carefully, it states drivers jerk back onto the roadway in a nick of time. I know what he means both as a driver and pedestrian.

    Being considerate when you are behind the wheel is better than thinking you are right!

    I cannot get over all the attitudes from drivers here. DAILY, I feel like a sitting duck to a, chas v’shalom, head on or other accident, where the driver corrects their actions at the last second.

    It’s a pleasure to drive further north or south where I have confidence drivers observe the same laws and understand traffic signs are not optional, and the right of way is not to be stolen away from the other driver.

Comments are closed.