Traffic & Safety Committee: Uber & Lyft

The busy and sometimes hectic Winter Holidays are approaching and we will experience a significant influx of cars entering our community. We can all do our part during this season to expedite traffic flow, minimize frustrations and protect our property. To start with ensure our Guest Lists are current and update them as quickly as possible. Also for those hosting a significant gathering, get the Party List into the office at least three business days before the scheduled date of the festivity.
Don’t let your new guests, and for that matter service people, use their GPS to find your house. Many times it will lead them to the wrong gate, for whatever reason they won’t read the signs, and they will attempt to follow someone else in. Maybe someone has been successful doing this, but the spikes normally pop up and flatten their tire(s). This happens on a regular basis. Your directions are important.
This is the season for pirates to plunder parked cars.
For several reasons, and it is almost universal in our state, car clouts have changed their method of doing things and now only steal from unlocked vehicles. However, I am sure that if a thief saw a valuable item inside a locked car they would likely take a chance and force entry to get a good prize. Out smart these land pirates, remove items of value, and then lock your cars. Better yet, park your car behind a shut garage door.
A quick reminder, the Internal Revenue Service does not telephonically call to warn you about pending legal actions. Disregard these warnings, as they are a scam. If the IRS does contact you it will be by mail. Several people have received telephonic recorded messages purporting to be representatives of the IRS recently.
UBER and LYFT
More and more folks are utilizing what I believe to be an inexpensive but still reliable form of a taxi service. However, a quirk in both popular services, UBER and LYFT, could frustrate the responding driver and cause unnecessary delays at the gate. Once transportation via an UBER or LYFT vehicle is made, via the appropriate App, the responding driver is not given an address. Instead, he is directed via a flag on a computerized map to a location. Consequently when the driver arrives at the gate he or she has no address or contact information. For security reasons, the driver cannot be admitted to pick up someone at an unknown address with no contact number. Proactive and frequent users of this system have learned that it is fastest to meet the service at the gate. Also a handwritten note delivered to the gate giving a name and address of the customer will also ensure service to the door.
—God Bless…Tim Murphy