Archive for October, 2010

This Sunday is Halloween, which is a night were we must exorcise even more caution when driving.  Halloween is supposed to be a night of fun and entertainment.  There is nothing funny about an accident because a driver could not see a child running across the street in a dark costume.

When we are driving on a normal day and we see a children at play sign, we instinctively slow down and become more observant.

On the night of Halloween, we must drive like that continuously.  Children are out trick-or-treating, which means that they can forget about looking across the street as they cross.  This is especially true if they get spooked.  Also if they are wearing costumes that are dark, they may be even harder to see.

The bottom line is that you never know when a little ghoul or goblin may be on the road.  You need to be extra alert just in case something were to happen.  Remember that old adage:  “Be Safe; Be Seen, On Halloween.”

We know that we normally focus on the parking side of all things vehicular, but if you are going to have to park, you need to drive somewhere first.  Therefore, we recently discovered some strange driving laws that we wanted to pass on to you just in case you are passing through these areas.  Some are strange or old but since they have never been repealed, you could get in trouble for them.  We tried to warn you.

Alabama:  It is illegal to drive while blindfolded.

Alaska: It is illegal to tether a dog to the roof of your car.

Arizona (Glendale): It is illegal to drive your vehicle in reverse.

Arkansas: It is illegal to honk your horn at a place where cold beverages or sandwiches are served after 9 PM.

California: It is illegal for ladies to drive in a housecoat, for a vehicle without a driver to exceed 60 miles per hour, to jump from a car at 65 miles per hour, or shoot any animals from a moving vehicle.

Connecticut: It is illegal to eat in your car.

Florida (Sarasota): Hitting a pedestrian incurs a $78 fine.

Georgia: It is illegal to drive through playgrounds or to spit from your car or a bus.  However, here is no legislation about spitting from a truck.

Very strange laws indeed.  We will save laws from other states for another time.  Some of these are so obscure, it makes you kind of wish that they would at least have them posted on parking signs.  Drive safe and in these states…drive smart.

How would you feel if you woke up one morning on your way to work to find that your car’s tires had been clamped by parking officials?  Your car was parked in the same spot that you’ve always parked it in, yet you still could not move your vehicle.

That is what happened to a group of residents in an area of Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England.  They awoke to two parking officials tire-clamping their vehicles.  Unsure as to why such a penalty was being enforced, the residents gathered the cars that had not yet been clamped and parked around the parking official’s vehicles.  This action resulted in a five hour standoff, where the management company instructed that all of the clamps be removed.

Apparently what had happened was that the parking laws in the area were going to be changed.  Each of the residents was to receive a notice in the mail, but for reasons unknown, the letters were never sent.  Perhaps if parking officials had just used some assigned parking signs from ParkingSignCorner.com, this mishap could have been avoided.

The first full week of October is a very important week in terms of teaching people about safety. This week is generally recognized as “Fire Prevention Week,” and it is designed to help teach younger children and their families ways that they can prevent fires in their homes.

Although preventing fires is extremely important, it is also important to know what to do in case there actually is a fire. If fires can be caught early enough, they can be put out before serious injury or damage can occur.

Therefore, in honor of Fire Prevention Week, we at ParkingSignCorner.com feel that our best way to contribute is to remind you that you should always be mindful of where you park your vehicle. Always take note of whether or not you are parking near a fire lane sign. Fire lanes are critical for emergency response vehicles to use in order to get to the burning building. If your car is blocking the way, then those are valuable seconds lost that can better be spent fighting the flames.

So please, in honor of Fire Prevention Week, join us in being more mindful of where we are parking our vehicles.