On Friday, July 27, due to a brake problem or just inattentive parking on a slope, a runaway VW Bus on Ward Street ended up on the sidewalk against Touchstones. Fortunately — this time — without hurting anyone.
Touchstones can’t be happy about it! But it would have been worse in the middle of Ward or — worse yet — in the Ward-Vernon intersection.
Considering our hilly topography and frequently self-serving Nelson driving habits, three points merit urgent consideration:
1. Emphasize curbing of wheels when parking on a slope in drivers’ training, by proactively connecting with area driving-schools.
2. Run a public curb-your-wheels campaign, what with most of Nelson being steep and a similar case in Fairview a few years ago.
3. Establish an appropriate rule, strictly enforced/ticketed by meter-maids.
If any of this has been done in the past, it clearly isn’t working. As a pedestrian-by-inclination I have to be consistently concerned when crossing a steep street in front of a car with wheels parallel to the curb.
In Nelson curbed wheels are an exception!
Why?
Claus Lao Schunke
Nelson