Letters to the Editor

Someone’s finally taking notice

To the Editor:

As a lifelong resident of the Five Towns, I commend the Herald for finally getting up the nerve to comment on the deplorable, and in my view illegal, practice of the Orthodox Jewish residents of our Five Towns neighborhood, in last week's article titled "A safety risk?" I have been talking about this situation for almost 20 years, since Far Rockaway’s Orthodox Jews first started their pilgrimage into the Five Towns.

I recognize and understand these congregants’ religious observance. But that does not dismiss their disregard for the safety aspect of their actions. To say that “... walking on the road is easier when they travel in large groups” has no bearing and is inconsequential to observing law and proper use of the roadway — as is David (whose last name was withheld) saying, “because they are walking three, four and five people together, simple as that."

It is not that simple. What would be simple is walking single file on the sidewalks and keeping in mind that walking in the street poses a danger beyond yourself and your desire to travel as a five-abreast group.

Using the number of cars on the road as justification for their action is also inconsequential to the issue. Just because the roads aren’t as heavily used on Friday evening or Saturday as any other time of the week doesn’t mean they’re not used or are now the domain of pedestrians. Travelers who do not know or understand the religious reasons for this behavior share these roads, and are being put in dangerous situations.