Santa Monica To Install Vehicle Safety Nets Around Farmer’s Market

May 4, 2011 1:37 PM

SANTA MONICA (CBS) — A vehicle barrier is being installed along two and a half blocks surrounding the Santa Monica Famer’s market, eight years after a deadly accident killed ten people.

The heavy duty cable nets will be set up in June along Arizona Avenue every Wednesday and Friday. The nets are supposed to be able to stop a vehicle from entering the market area.

On July 16, 2003, George Russell Weller, 86, accidentally drove into the Farmer’s Market, killing 10 people and injuring 60.

Santa Monica To Install Vehicle Safety Nets Around Farmers Market

Notorious Kelly

I got a better idea; how about taking the keys before they reach 80.

YoMamma

Easy for you to say. What about widows who have no other means of transportation? Elderly people can’t just hop on a bus, some can’t walk to a bus stop. Have some sympathy you thoughtless moron.

Danny B.

But what if a car loses control on one of the other five days?
min

more wasted tax money
FN Cee

This is really, really stoooopid! … if some bunch of “authority prone” elected MENSA folks thinks something needs doing just put out a few protective tire puncture strips … or simply close the streets …
authoritah

Yeah Danny, there is a whole lot of people walking in the middle of Arizona Ave. the other 5 days of the week. Hell, by your argument, let’s put up nets 365 days on all streets in the city. Yeah, that’s a good idea, especially in this economy. Not that S.M. couldn’t afford to do it, they certainly get enough “fees” from the parking Nazis.

While many George Weller types should be OFF THE ROAD, we can’t just yank licenses from all people due to age. Simple solution, much the same as restricted licenses for under-18′s, we should be REQUIRING yearly behind the wheel tests, vision, general reaction and skills tests for ALL drivers over, say age 75. And a system to report, perhaps anonymously, dangerous people on the road (not just oldies!). If someone could have done something about this a few years before, like when Mr. Weller plowed into the wall @ the house in Santa Barbara (?), 10 people in Santa Monica might still be alive today (not to mention those maimed for life).

To paraphrase the great philosopher Stan Marsh, “(old people) need to realize that they’re killers when they get behind the wheel and have to admit when it’s time to hang it up”.

ps I never bought the “accident” argument anyway. He hit a car (multiple cars?) blocks away from the incident (@ post office). You can’t say he didn’t know what happened. He could have pulled over, dealt with it, and NOBODY would have died or been injured that day. He should have gone to prison for what he did. Age shouldn’t be a consideration. I sure as hell know that, if I at 32 did the same thing, I’d get life in prison. Not: “feel bad for him due to his age, besides he didn’t know what he was doing, and that gas pedal just jumped out and switched places with the brakes.”
authoritah

Oh, and tire strips would NOT have helped in this case, he still probably would have been plowing through those innocent men, women, and young children anyway. And they already do block off the streets, always have, yet that didn’t help.
Bryan

They already have provisions in place such as the trucks and police cars that now block both ends of the street. This is just a waste of money.