The red phone is just a few days old, but if there’s one thing
we’ve learned over the past two days, it seems NOBODY in the town
can drive, and EVERYBODY has something to say about it.
The red phone is just a few days old, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past two days, it seems NOBODY in the town can drive, and EVERYBODY has something to say about it.
A caller (our first) complained about a potentially dangerous situation she has seen many times on Gilroy roads – drivers not stopping for school buses.
“I have a major complaint with people who don’t stop for yellow school buses with their stop sign out and with children getting out and crossing the street,” she said. “There’s a reason they put those signs on the buses.”
For those of you who may have missed that lesson in driving school, according the California Department of Motor Vehicles handbook, “when you come upon a school bus stopped on either side of the road with flashing red lights, you must stop. The flashing red lights are located at the top front and top back of the bus. Schoolchildren will be crossing the road to or from the school bus. Remain stopped as long as the red lights are flashing.”
Failure to stop can lead to a fine of up to $1,000 and a one-year drivers license suspension.
Note: You need not stop if the bus is on the other side of a divided or a multilane (two or more traffic lanes in each direction) highway.
* * *
One caller questioned why Gilroy Police officers aren’t pulling over drivers for not signaling when they are turning or changing lanes.
“I’m sick and tired of people not using their turn signals,” he said. “Why don’t cops pull people over for not using their signal. Isn’t that the law?”
* * *
“You shouldn’t tailgate,” another caller cautioned. “It makes a diver more nervous and more liable to cause an accident.”
The caller said she often sees people speeding on Santa Teresa Boulevard.
“I’m going down Santa Teresa going 5 miles per hour over the speed limit, and people are passing me and giving me the finger,” she said. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want a ticket – they’re expensive.”
The caller recommends drivers calm down a little.
“Life’s too short to be in such a big hurry.”
* * *
A final Gilroyan called in Thursday afternoon and was left feeling pretty “deflated” about not one but several flat tires due to nails and screws on the roadway in the northwest quadrant of the city.
“Both myself, my husband and our roommate have had flat tires,” she said. “If it’s a prank, it’s a real immature prank.”
The woman said she feels like they’re constantly pulling tires off of their cars to have them repaired at local tire shops.
“It’s not fun,” she said.
Have a question, a comment or a community concern? Call the Red Phone. It listens. It answers. It writes with wit and true grit. If there’s a problem that needs fixing or an issue that needs airing, Red Phone will answer because it’s for sharing. Juicy tips it does take, leave a message – don’t wait. All we’ll need is a name and a phone number to take. But that won’t be published, the Red Phone won’t tell. It’ll just take your info, before raising a little hell.The Red Phone rings off the hook each Wednesday and Friday.
