Letter to the Editor: Slow Down on Rose Ave.

I have been a resident of Rose Avenue, Springfield, for 12 years and the residents of my street have constantly been subjected to reckless drivers and no-residents who park anywhere on the street. Often the curb across from my driveway is so packed with non-resident cars that I cannot exit my own driveway.

However, the more serious problem occurs when you are attempting to drive down the street and drivers coming in the other direction keep coming at you and refuse to yield.

On Saturday morning, October 20, I was coming down Rose Avenue from Caldwell Place. There were cars—probably belonging to those attending the soccer matches at Ruby Field—taking up practically every space on both sides of the street. I turned onto Rose from Caldwell and was driving down the street toward Salter Street. I had my signal on and was attempting to make a left into my driveway. A driver coming toward me, instead of stopping and allowing me to turn into my driveway, kept coming toward me. I had to keep inching toward him until he got the message and pulled to the side of the street opposite my home.

Why can't drivers use courtesy and stop when you are coming toward them on a street that is overcrowded with cars parked on both sides of the street? I think, first of all, there should be more restrictions on non-resident parking in streets surrounding Ruby Field. Secondly, there should be more enforcement of rules of the road, which, in the above situation, would dictate that the driver coming toward me would stop until I entered my driveway. You would think with police headquarters less than a block away this enforcement would be self-evident.