A uniquely colored cone that means: “Do not move these cones. Do not take this space.”
Paul Goldfinger, MD. Blogfinger.net. August, 2020 re-post with a few comments from then. If you search Blogfinger for “cones and parking” you will find 18 choices. So it is a “big deal” in the great and unique town of Ocean Grove, NJ, USA.
Ocean Grove’s parking problems are multi-factorial, and we have hashed all that out before. Right now (2020) there are professionals trying to come up with a plan, but that report is being paid for by the Camp Meeting Association, so, like political polls, if you pay you get the result you seek. The CMA has shown little interest in the Grove’s residential population.
And looking forward to 2025, no solution was found, and parking stickers are dead ducks.
At Blogfinger we are focused on the parking situation experienced by residents only: homeowners and renters who represent the largest faction in town.
In an effort to come up with something that can give an edge to those who make the Grove their home, we are thinking about one element: Grovers often find themselves trapped, especially on weekends in prime time, because if they move their cars, their space will be gone quickly, leaving them with a fearful prognosis of finding parking after the town has been placed in a choke-hold by huge numbers of visitors with cars.
Sometimes you just have to go to the grocery, the doctor, urgicare, the pharmacy, the UPS store, to help a friend, visit family, etc.
Over the 4th 2025, I had to go to have blood drawn. I only needed one hour. So I left two cones in front of my house with the intention to reclaim my space in one hour. This is something I do perhaps thrice a year.
As I returned to the Grove and turned onto Mt. Hermon, a guy in a big truck from New York began pulling into “my” space. I pulled up behind him, assuming that he would honor my cones; But instead he ignored me, got out of his truck and moved the cones onto the sidewalk. Then he completed his parking, got out of his vehicle and walked away without a word. Of course, he has the right to do that. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. A neighbor does it often and has no problems.
My proposal is to give each homeowner two uniquely colored cones for demarcating one space. The Township can pass an ordinance to allow homeowners to save their spaces by banning anyone from moving those cones. Those cones only create parking magic for town residents.
This would provide some relief from one of the most vexing problems faced by an OG drowning in vehicles, and it can be accomplished without fighting over permit parking. The idea is to save a space for a Grover who understands that this liberates our drivers to take perhaps 1-3 hours to take care of essential activities and then to return. It doesn’t tie up a space for long stretches as occurs in season when visitors, often from out of state, warehouse their cars for unlimited periods of time.
This plan would tie up some parking spaces temporarily, but so what? And the cones use would be limited for use in peak season where We-The-People need the help the most. In fact, the cones would be designated for use only during June through September
With this plan there would be little cost and will help We-the-People who pay taxes to solve one of our most frustrating quality -of -life issues.
Those of us who live here and pay taxes to Neptune Township deserve an advantage provided by the Neptunites, and we mean the town and not the planet.
Let’s do something for the home team. And let’s think about figuring out who we are.
2021 link: saving spaces
ELVIS: A plea to Neptune Township from “The Grover Nation.”
For this to work would require changes in Neptune ordinances.
It is illegal for average citizens to place anything (other than vehicles) in a roadway. Whether its cones, chairs or boxes, it is considered obstructing traffic and you can receive a summons for this.
Long Timer
I Forgot to mention…………. They said the scooters have to be registered with the New Jersey Dep’t. of Motor Vehicles, added to your driver’s license, and also they have to be insured by an insurance company.
LOL Hard to say. I think it might be in the mind of the individual. But I know I am because my joints are stiff when I get up in the morning. LOL (Over 70?)
Old Timer: Placing a scooter, even one that doesn’t work, is no different than using cones or garbage pails, except who would dare to move a scooter?
I don’t do it routinely, but lately, on a gridlocked day, if I need to go out for a while, I will use my cones. Recently someone removed them to park in “my spot” but there is nothing I can do about it. Yet most of the time, drivers will not move cones.
My neighbor does it on a daily basis and he says that no one has ever moved his cones.
That is why an ordinance should be passed to let us residents save a spot for a finite amount of time, which could be defined.
And finally, I am not sure that many residents would support this idea. Perhaps I will do a poll to take the temperatures of our neighbors.
Also, can. you please tell us what the age cutoff is to call someone an “Old Timer?”
—-PG
—PG
OhGee – Allow me to play devil’s advocate. I don’t live on the first two blocks of Main Avenue, but as I understand it, anyone can buy themselves a scooter and it is considered a motor vehicle over a certain size. There are many used scooters for sale at good prices if you are so inclined. I’m not sure what you mean by “Neptune has done squat”. No one is breaking the law.
Also, if it were not a “scooter” in the space, it would be another vehicle. No difference. The town is crowded and there are more people than spaces.
Some of the wealthy residents on the first 2 beach blocks of Main Ave have found a way to reserve a lined parking space right in front of their homes. They spend $$ on a scooter and use it to save “their” spot. Long as it is 50cc’s it is considered a legit motor vehicle.
Neptune, as usual, has done squat! I’ve counted up to 8 scooters taking up 8 separate lined parking spaces. WTF? Shame on Neptune, and shame on these self-entitled residents who think they are more “special” than their fellow driveway-less homeowners.
Our neighbors currently use orange cones or garbage/recycling pails. But that maneuver is not protected by law. Anyone can remove them and park there. Interestingly, most of the time, parking seekers will respect the markers.
The idea for a special colored cone is to recognize them as being part of a Neptune ordinance that would forbid anyone from removing those cones and thus to save the spaces for residents when they return.
Since Neptune hasn’t issued the cones yet, any other suggestions to replace the cones?