Catch 22 on the Streets of Madison

I had a nice Memorial Day barbecue the other day and as a courtesy I parked my cars on the street.  Naturally, after a long day of entertaining (and drinking) I forgot to put them back in the driveway overnight.  Imagine my surprise when both of my cars were ticket-free Tuesday morning.

My initial thoughts were great, I just saved $30.  But then I wondered if the police did not bother taking a courtesy drive down my street that night.  And then I wondered why I do not see more police in and around my neighborhood at all.

Madison is super safe and I feel confident and comfortable letting my eight-year-old play outside.  But when cars routinely drive 45 miles an hour down Niles Avenue in broad daylight, I sometimes wonder what goes on at night.  There are young children all over my block and if drivers get an inch, I have watched them take a mile.

There are no deterrents for cars to slow down.  Not one speed bump or crosswalk to prevent speeding.  Not a children playing sign.  Nothing.

Nope, just another cut-through street between Chatham and Florham Park.  I get the feeling sometimes the town thinks we belong to those two boroughs more than Madison itself.

Maybe I am just becoming a crotchety old man. But I do have a fear that it will take something devastating to wake folks up that speed and careless driving has no business on these roads.

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