TO THE EDITOR:
Hi Paul – First I just want to thank you for the amazing job you do. You keep me more informed on Ocean Grove than any other news source available to us here!
I have a question that I believe Blogfinger has touched on in the past…about a problem that seems to have reached new highs (lows?) this year: Blocking parking spots with cones, lawn chairs, human bodies, strollers, flower pots, and/or small children. As I type, someone has placed orange cones in front of my next door neighbor’s house on Asbury Ave (not her — she’s already parked! — it’s another ‘neighbor’ saving a spot for himself). On Saturday, someone on Main Avenue was *hauled away in handcuffs* after getting in a verbal altercation with a police officer over the spot she was blocking. So yeah, it’s getting a little nutty.
Do you know of any ‘official’ venue we can contact when we see a roped off spot? Like, so someone official can come unblock the spots? I know it’s not a top priority in our boardwalkless town, nor am I calling 911 over a blocked spot, but was wondering if you had any advice or guidance to offer. We’ve been here for 8 years and I can say that for sure ‘spot blocking’ is out of control in the summer of ’13.
Thanks, Paul! 🙂
Laura
OCEAN GROVE, NJ
JULY 7, 2013
Editor’s Note: Laura. You are correct that this is not a new issue. Although there is no law against holding spots, no one is entitled to reserve a spot. Therefore, it is acceptable to remove the barriers and to park your car in that location. Many people don’t have the nerve to do that, so the practice continues. But if you have a passenger in your car who is strong, tall and fearless (I have my wife), then take the spot–it is a public street.
There is no one you can call to remove the blockades, unless, of course, there is a dead body there. That would get the police to come over, but otherwise they have little interest in your complaint unless there is a fist fight.
A variation on this theme is to park one, two or more cars in a creative way by having large spaces in between. Then the owners can rearrange them when someone comes along for whom the space has been saved. Another solution is to buy a parked car.
This past weekend was horrible as far as parking is concerned, but it is now Sunday night, and you could go out now and find plenty of spaces.
Paul, Editor @Blogfinger