Editor,
After reading the local paper about how to ease congestion I would like to offer up a solution. Stay home.
I have been hauling dirt in this town for 10 years and a resident for 20. Never in my 35 years of driving have I seen any worse than the people of this town. I don’t blame them. I am frustrated as well as the season seems to have come early this year.
Let’s start out with the basics:
- Remove all parking spots along Coast Highway. A truck is bound to the far right lane at all times by law. Supposed to at least. But that F250 that’s parked there has a mirror that is in the lane a foot. Now what? A truck is offloading freight. Or, a cyclist has a death wish wanting to ride the most dangerous section of PCH that I am aware of. Two lanes, either side and a turn lane with synchronized lights like in Long Beach.
- The city of Dana Point built a pedestrian overpass. I am still confused why there isn’t a tunnel or ped bridge at PCH and the 133? Lines of cars waiting for lines of people to cross. There’s a problem there.
- The stupidity of either city planners or Caltrans to make crosswalks more confusing. Some with lights, some without. Some put on the canyon, then, ripped up and done all over again with red flashing lights? C’mon, you’re supposed to be engineers? Let’s be consistent with well lit, flashing crosswalks. How many more vehicle vs. peds will we have before they do something?
As for me, the guy who is hauling 80,000 pounds of dirt from Emerald Bay to Camp Pendleton four times a day. I just need some flipping common sense and courtesy just trying to make it there without some Tesla cutting me off or jumping in front of me at the light. Brakes don’t fail me now! It’s people’s in and out of lanes, switching at the light or the “is that a phone or a gun pressed to your ear” that I see with 60 percent of the motoring public. Hang up and drive man.
We’re in for one chaotic summer. Pack some patience.
Jim Dane, Laguna Beach
