PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Philadelphia Police Department is warning city residents and visitors to stop using traffic cones to save parking spaces.
Motorists in Philadelphia are tired of people using traffic cones to park. Now the police are busy getting those pylons off the street that they shouldn’t be on.
“It can and is a nuisance,” said Holmesburg resident Tracey Meyers.
Neighbors in Holmesburg want something done about the cones.
“It’s a shame,” said one person. ‘They have to go. The city must come and get them.’
Traffic cones set up to block several parking spaces have become a major problem on this small road called Glenloch Street, a cul-de-sac with limited parking.
Jaedon Rios said it takes him 20 minutes to find a parking space after work. He circles around for so long that he once moved a cone to park his car. The next day he found that cone on top of his car.
“I was just angry,” Rios said. “I can’t park because everyone always keeps a spot and they drive all the way down the block. It’s just not fair to everyone.”
The Philadelphia Police Department is now removing traffic cones where they shouldn’t be. Officers from the 15th precinct recently collected more than 100 cones in just one day.
CBS NewsPhiladelphia.
“If you’re one to put a cone in there, don’t do it,” said Sgt. Eric Gripp said.
Police said collecting the cones is a way to prevent verbal conflict between neighbors from escalating.
“We’ve seen fistfights to shootings,” Gripp said. “Of course we want to avoid that. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to your neighbor, call 911. We’ll come out. We’ll handle it. We’ll remove the cone.”
Local residents appreciate that officers are proactive.
“It’s a good thing because it’s public,” Meyers said. “Parking is parking. First come, first served and that’s how I see it.”
Police are asking people to try approaching their neighbors first if it’s okay with them and ask to move the cones. But if they aren’t, just call 911 and cops say they’ll come out and remove cones.
Matt Petrillo
