Former cop suggests whistle usage of Beach
To the editor:
Law enforcement’s most powerful tool is not a weapon or tazor gun. It is a small, cheap, little item called a whistle and comes with instructions.
After witnessing the traffic situation every winter and spring on Fort Myers Beach, I have to ask myself isn’t there someone who wants to do something about this situation? Years ago, I wrote a letter to one of the council members and offered a suggestion and never received a response.
Having been a police officer for 23 years for the City of South St. Paul, Minn., I worked the midnight shift for 12 years. It was my duty to stand on the intersection at 5:30 p.m. a.m. in rain or freezing cold and direct many of the vehicles through this congested intersection. There were 5,000 or more employees that worked at the Swift and Co. and Armor Packing plants, and the floors with chain functions always started at 7 o’clock sharp and their employees were on time to take their places.
I stood and directed traffic in all kinds of weather and the one single item that made this possible was a single little thing called a whistle. They are very easy to operate.
Never once did a pedestrian try to cross the street. Not until the whistle was blown. Cars knew that if they did not keep it closed up, I would stop them and let people cross. I want to ask readers when was the last time you heard or seen a officer with a whistle or when did you see an officer get out of his squad car to help move traffic other that Times Square? I counted five Lee County squads tied up in traffic from Times Square to the Mid-Island Car Wash.
This does not serve the public. The people in these cars want to spend money and they are not doing it sitting in traffic.
My suggestion is hire some of these volunteers (approximately 5 of them), give them whistles and, with the communication they have today at any given time, run the vehicles off the island up to Buttonwood. And, if anyone tries to cross the street, blow that whistle and watch what authority they will have. People on the sidewalks have to realize that they will be in cars eventually.
Notices of the times that traffic will move can be posted in the Beach newspapers and condos can post notices on the elevators. Motorists from the north end of the island can exit when the south traffic stops. This may also help sell property if people know they can get on and off the island. Also, there won’t have to be frustrated visitors.
I have never heard of a radio station to turn to so that Beach information could be passed on to motorists.
Earl Nies
Fort Myers