Readers Rip Ex-Chief Judge For Traffic Snag

JOLIET, IL - Wednesday's story about the antics of former Will County Chief Judge Ed Masters putting his Cadillac with vanity license plates into park in downtown Joliet sparked a firestorm on social media. To recap, Masters was driving north on Chicago Street around 11:30 a.m. as a truck transporting a demolition crane was attempting to turn left from Cass Street onto Chicago Street. (A building is being torn down across from the Rialto.) The truck became stuck in traffic because Masters decided to put his Cadillac in park and refused to back up his car a couple of feet. This lasted for 15 minutes.

Eventually, two veteran Joliet Police officers arrived and reasoned with Masters. He quickly followed their orders and backed up his Cadillac to let the truck through. Then he drove away.

STORY: Retired Judge Causes Traffic Snarl In Joliet

Moments before Masters drove off, the former judge briefly rolled down his window to chastise this Patch editor for hovering over his car several minutes earlier to capture photos of the episode. To set the record straight, this Patch editor, who knows Masters, had no idea the stubborn motorist was him.

It would not have mattered anyway.

The driver of the Cadillac, whoever it was, was causing a huge traffic backlog and creating a spectacle.

Anyway, here is a sampling of comments from Joliet Patch readers who offered their reaction on Facebook.

1. "What I find disappointing is that the reporter didn’t interview Judge Masters. No one reading this article has heard his side of the story. Perhaps Master’s car was there when the truck driver decided to TRY to make that narrow turn. Perhaps the truck driver made some rude comment to the Masters. Based on the images, the driver‘s vehicle is exactly where he should be. It is the truck who is visibly In the wrong. Clearly he was incapable of making the turn."
2. "No it's a stop light, when my driver went to turn on the green light the judge saw him coming as allllll the other cars as well. He acted like a child rolled his windows up and refused to move. He even told the police no, once the pd told him we called a tow truck to tow you he moved."
3. "I was literally standing at the corner like why the (expletive) you ain't backing up just get it over with so the truck and go through."
4. "I'm completely baffled as to why he wouldn't back up. What was the big deal? So instead he chooses to act like a 2 year old and have a little stubborn fit?? He really needed to be given a ticket for causing such a delay."
5. "My reaction was the same as some others. But after reading the article, I applaud the officers how they handled it. Not that I believe he should get special treatment, but why take him into custody if it can be avoided? To create a bigger circus then this one? He made a foolish mistake, maybe had a bad day. Hopefully that's not how he normally is, and it doesn't hurt to respect a little for the title he held.
6. "Very ignorant....unless he does have some kind of a medical problem in which case someone should have called for assistance for him. Yes, maybe he should not be driving!"
7. "Guess he was hoping the truck would hit his car so he could sue the driver."
8. "I commend the judge. I for one am tired of trucks who could take alternate routes always forcing others to move!!!! I know all truck drivers are bad but let's have some traffic rules and truck routes."
9. "Must not be that great of a lawyer if he’s only driving a Cadillac."
10. "He needs his drivers license taken away ."
11. "Maybe too old to be driving."
12. "Maybe he fell asleep? Haha."

Images via John Ferak/Joliet Patch Editor