Homeowner

dunno, I am truly sorry you thought I was sarcastic. No sarcasm was intended towards you.

I’m still waiting for answers to my questions particularly regarding the metal milk pitchers.

(Am I talking to the wall? There are usually enough Jews at Starbucks 18th Avenue or Starbucks 7th Avenue [Park Slope]) for a minyan.)

dunno: I would think a place where people are sitting and eating and drinking is different than a supermarket. Wouldn’t you?

Aries

Thank you for your kind words.

I only pasken for myself. 🙂 However, regarding your question about the religion of the motor vehicle, I think if in doubt, cut the tailpipe.

BP Totty,

Thank you for your message. You have neatly summed up exactly what’s wrong with the attitude of most driveway blockers. Here it is:

You say, “. . .what if the person had to run upstairs with his 5 year old, to reach the bathroom in time. . .” but you’re missing something very important–that person has no right to use my driveway without my permission. I often ask people who do this the following question, “If you decided that your situation justifies illegal parking, then why not park at the fire hydrant?”

The reason they don’t is plainly and simply because they take advantage of their fellow Jew. They know that the police will ticket hydrant blockers on their own without a complaint but require a complaint to ticket driveway blockers.

Tell me, BPT do you agree with hydrant blocking under the circumstances you describe? I’m assuming you’re not a lawyer, so take a guess: what do you think the odds are of success in using that as a defense to illegal parking at a hydrant? Let me answer my own question: nicht gut.

By the way, you endorse GAW’s statement “It was a mistake, he apologized, Vaiter.” That’s nice. You know how often I receive an apology, or something coming close to an apology? Rarely. So rare in fact that I often have to say to offenders, “Aren’t you forgetting something?” When they look puzzled, I add, “How about saying ‘I’m sorry?'”

You have no right to block my driveway. Period. Disrespect in Borough Park is outrageous. As the owner of a house, I can be subject to tickets for having garbage on the sidewalk. Who is leaving empty bags of potato chips with brand names like Machmirim on the ground? It’s not the day laborers. I’ve stopped yeshiva kids who are littering and asked them where they learned this. They too do not apologize.

By the way, BPT, do you also think someone is allowed to throw a used diaper in my recycled bottles garbage can? I could be subject to a fine up to $1,500 for that. Is that okay with you?

Dave Hirsch, Bravo!

PBA, No problem. To reiterate, I live in an old house, the driveway is absolutely legal. I have actually had the DOB here to confirm it.

so right, That’s not the entire story. Originally driveways had to be only eight feed wide according to the engineer I hired. When the Buildings Code was changed, as is often the case, existing properties were “grandfathered in.” Those of us who have old, narrow, but nevertheless legal driveways that cannot be widened are at the mercy of the illegal parkers.

BP Totty, Excuse me, but you don’t know the particulars of every single situation so it’s really not for you to say what is and what is not important to someone you don’t even know. I submit that this is the precise attitude that got us into this situation. (Not saying that you engage in these parctices, just talking about those who say, “I was only there for one minute.”)

Here are some examples:

1. You go out to buy dinner. They prepare you a hot meal to go for which, of course, you pay good money. When you get home, your driveway is blocked and it takes you an hour to get in with your cold, ruined meal.

2. You’re on the way home, you haven’t been feeling so great and would really like to use the bathroom. How’s that 15 minute wait feel now?

3. You need to leave for work. You need to back out of the driveway but some chazzer has taken a few feet of your driveway figuring (as they always do) “he has enough space.” Of course, judging distances on the side while backing, is very difficult so it takes you quite a while, enough for you to be late for work. To add insult to injury, you have to back your car over the curb and this causes you to damage the undercarriage to the tune of $3,000. Yes, it happened to me.

4. You have a sick relative. The doctor says, “bring her in to see me right away.” (Note, he didn’t say “go to the emergency room,” but “come to the office.”) You can’t leave the driveway because it’s blocked. How do you feel? How does your relative feel? Can anyone justify this?

I could go on, but how on earth can you say “Get a grip”?

So right and others,

I was wondering how long it would take before the red herring of “illegal driveway” would make its way into this thread.

A driveway, or a curb cut masquerading as a driveway, is not “illegal” until the Department of Buildings says it is. This rumor persists regarding my neighbor and to this day when I stop people who are blocking his driveway, they tell me, “it’s an illegal driveway.” It isn’t. What’s illegal is their conduct.

I repeat a question asked yesterday:

What makes you think you can tell whether or not a driveway is “illegal?”

IF you believe a driveway is illegal, your remedy is to call 311, report it to the Department of Buildings and they will investigate. IF DOB finds that the driveway is illegal, they can either order the sidewalk restored or require a permit to be applied for an issued. If it’s the latter, the driveway will retroactively become legal.

What does it say about a person who sees a car parked in a driveway and then blocks him in because he believes it’s an illegal driveway?

By the way, those of us who have legal driveways (the overwhelming majority of property owners) pay an increase in real estate taxes for the privilege.