Briarcliff Business wants "boot drive" shut down!

[OnTheWheel 43]

The Ossining Fire Department was participating in a county wide boot drive last Friday for Hurricane Katrina victims, especially Firefighters and EMS. Of course there is some traffic build up, BUT, it was obviously for a good cause! The owner of "a pizza shop in Briarcliff's Chilmark Shopping Center (Pleasantville Road) called the police deparment and complained that the boot drive was killing his business and he wanted it shut down, and now!! I don't know about you, but I won't set foot in the place from here on out! Spread the word to your families and friends also! This information was from a reliable source!

[cas2383 22]

he has a right to complain it is his livelihood afterall, but someone more tasteful would have asked the "boot drivers" to move first before calling the pd. I dont think its a reason to not go there who knows?

[BMFD409 0]

this place makes some real good food and not to mention if i ran a store that had a problem like that i would call pd first cause i want to go about it the right way not go outside and pick a fight and wind up int the papers as some non patriotic guy. i say leave them alone its good food

[Stepjam 118]

I'll say this about boot drives. IMO, this is an unnecessarily hazardous activity to the firefighter/EMS personnel who participate, and to the motorists who have to run the gauntlet.

I "did my bit" at this same boot drive effort, in Peekskill. But I came close to ramming the guy in front of me when he locked up his brakes at a busy intersection. A firefighter was too busy trying to canvas both sides of traffic, and only her bunker pants marked her as a firefighter. She was busy gesturing and talking and stepped backwards into a lane of traffic. I won't mention the agency involved. There was a rig parked on the shoulder with no lights, and it wasn't apparent what was taking place until I actually saw the boot outside my window. This was near a city garage, and it's not unusual to see apparatus there for one reason or another.

I have seen near misses like this before on very busy roads. Personally, I think it's very dangerous to both the personnel involved and the motorists.

Edited September 28, 2005 by Stepjam

[cas2383 22]

I didnt mean to go out and pick a fight, I meant calmly as to boot drives it is right to think about safety, i.e. putting up cones large signs and whatever else you may need, don't just stand out there.

[Guest]

First, I think it is very important that we all do our part to help the public safety providers in the areas affected by Katrina in any way we can.

But..

After driving though several boot drives over the weekend, I noted several things. First, boot drive areas were not visible enough. Road cones and traffic vests don’t make you invincible.

Second, the boot drives created a traffic issue, which in turn causes a chain reaction of various other problems.

As public safety workers, we are sworn to protect the community, not to put it and ourselves at an UNNESSARY risk.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Wow some more like me on here.

First, just because its a fund drive for any disaster victim, you have the right to voice your concern, under freedom of speech, if it effects your quality of life and your business aka your livelihood. I'll be getting pizza there next friday. We aren't owed anything because of what we do, no matter who it is for. What if he gave a substancial sum of money to the relief effort already? Don't call the PD first? Why not? Look at the first post on here, calling for a boycott of his store, he would have had to walk in and get the Pd anyway when nothing was worked out. It was a civil matter that needed some sort of reasonable mediation. That is what a police department functions as also.

Second, whether you put up cones or a hot air balloon with a warning message on it, its dangerous. You'd be just as successful setting up several smaller ones in shopping mall parking lots utilizing nets on a long stick, which is what southern departments have been doing for years. Its only gonna be a matter of time before someone gets hit and killed, it will be called a LODD, and what for? To raise money. Is your life worth a fund raiser with some of the streets or 4 lane routes they put you on? The rule on a emergency scene is don't turn your back to traffic, but we'll do it at a fund drive and watch it going on.

[Guest]

Wasnt there recently a FF killed during a boot drive. Im not sure but, I thought I heard something about it. As far as boot drives go isnt there a safer way to get donations. Anyway no matter how you get your donations stay safe and respect your town.