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Letters to the EditorsTraffic obstacles litter our streets
© St. Petersburg Times, Am I the only one both amused and annoyed by the latest craze: traffic circles popping up on streets all over St. Petersburg? I notice one under construction on Monterey Boulevard at a point where pedestrians are as rare as fish in the desert. In my 20 years of passing that location, I never remember an accident there. Since these circles and other examples of deliberate traffic barriers seem to me unnecessary and even dangerous to motorists, I called the city Department of Transportation. Mike Frederick kindly explained it all, indicating that in many cases, neighbors wanted traffic slowed down not because of any danger whatsoever but because of "quality-of-life" issues. Oh. This latest craze should alert us to at least two things. One is that the grand plans of neighborhood associations need to be reined in. Neighborhood associations certainly have their place, but when local activists are encouraged to develop a comprehensive plan, and big money is offered to back it up, obviously the temptation is overwhelming to include every current fad. Who will provide restraints and talk common sense in the face of these committee enthusiasms? Surely, that's the job of the Department of Transportation, which (I hope) has a larger view of traffic patterns and the needs of the city as a whole. Second, and most important, we need to get real about the classification of streets. Probably every homeowner fantasizes that the street in front of his house should really be seen as a "local street," used primarily by local homeowners, with traffic limited to a crawl. In real life, however, drivers use their common sense in finding the best routes from here to there. That's why there are many residential streets in the city filled with hundreds of cars every day that are simply moving from one part of town to another. A "collector street" is the technical term, I think. Monterey Boulevard is a perfect example. To cave in to neighborhood pressure and classify this as a "local street" -- then build concrete traffic obstacles, then limit traffic to a crawl -- is to let local fantasies prevail and create a steady stream of lawbreaking drivers every day. If you agree, register your protest with Mike Frederick at 893-7843. He's a good listener. Maybe we can keep more of these concrete traffic obstacles from littering our streets.
Pinellas Park has one cable TV choiceI have a bone to pick with Pinellas Park. Let me start by saying I have been a resident and business owner in Pinellas Park for the last 20 years. At best, Pinellas Park is seen as a blue-collar neighborhood made up of hard-working people, most living from paycheck to paycheck. To most here, the only source of entertainment is our beloved TV. Why, then, is our governing City Council allowing Time Warner to charge our citizens the highest rates for cable in Pinellas County? Yes, that's right. We pay more than anyone. Why, you ask? Because Time Warner has a monopoly in Pinellas Park. Other counties have Verizon Cable, formerly known as GTE Americast. This creates competition and lower rates -- the American way. I challenge you, Pinellas Park residents. Wake up and call City Hall. Find out why there is no competition in a town that relies so heavily on the cable industry. Maybe it's just a coincidence that Time Warner's Channel 9 broadcasting studio is in Pinellas Park. Maybe not.
The strains of forced listeningRe: Learning to live with and lower the noise, June 2. When someone else's noise invades my home and I am forced to listen to it, my right to privacy and quiet enjoyment has been violated. It is that simple. As to the "thumping" night-life sounds, Jannus Landing and other venues have no more right to invade my home with their music than I have to invade their place of business with mine. I wonder what they would say if the sounds of Beethoven's Ninth from a neighbor's residence commingled with the music in their establishment. If I am forced to listen to their music, then I should be allowed to choose the type of music. Beethoven, anyone?
Some "entertainment' is intolerableRe: Learning to live with and lower the noise. A recent column in the Times urging downtown residents to be tolerant of noisy "entertainment" abuses the concept of the virtue of tolerance. When it comes to high-decibel music that can be heard throughout a neighborhood, the traditional belief still holds that your right to extend your fist ends where my nose begins. Whether it's violence at a sports event, drunkenness or partying that can be heard a mile away -- none of these constitutes a valid part of entertainment and none deserves our tolerance. The law states that we have a right to quiet possession of our homes, and no commercial operation has a right to violate this principle for the sake of its bank balance. None deserves our tolerance.
Memorial Day -- a time to sleep late?I live in a gated area. There are 600 families living here. I take morning walks almost every day. On Memorial Day there were exactly two flags out. I am sure that the people here must have had some member of their family in one of our recent wars. My husband, now deceased, was in World War II. It makes me sick to think that our lives were interrupted for 2 1/2 years and his life was on the line so that today people have a holiday to sleep late and have beach parties and picnics. Flag Day is coming up Thursday. I can bet the same two flags (one was mine, which I flew the whole weekend) will be displayed. I thank God my husband was spared and came back to raise three children; we celebrated our 61st anniversary before he passed away. His death was due to a war injury that surfaced after all these years. God bless America!
Approve St. Peter's Cathedral planRe: Parking problems at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter. St. Peter's Cathedral satisfies community needs in many compassionate ways. The St. Petersburg City Council should help the church continue and expand these activities by approving St. Peter's amended plan.
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