Ah Bloomfield
I try to avoid Bloomfield village.
All because of a speed-trap on the east side of the village.
I doubt it’s intended as a speed-trap, but that’s what happens.
The speed-limit on 5&20 through Bloomfield village is 35 mph, entirely prudent since it’s a residential area.
Exiting what appears to be the village to the east you descend a defile, and drive up the other side.
What happens if you’re not paying attention is your car will speed up as it descends the hill, so even though you may have been doing 35 in the village, you’re up to 40+ at the hill’s bottom.
Bloomfield village goes clear to Oakmount Road on the other side of the defile, as does its 35 mph speed-limit.
An Ontario County Sheriff’s Deputy is often on the other side with his radar.
I’m sure the officers cut some slack.
They know a car will go faster as it descends the hill.
If you already were going too fast through Bloomfield village, ya might approach 45+ going down the hill.
I’ve been nailed in this same exact spot at least five times over the past 20 years.
After the last time I said “ENOUGH!”
There has to be some other way to Canandaigua beside 5&20.
And there is. But to get to the Canandaigua National Bank branch in what used to be Holcomb, and what used to be the Holcomb Post-Office, I must drive through Bloomfield village.
So I’m entering Bloomfield village yesterday (Monday, August 2, 2010) on 5&20 from the west, and slow to 35 mph.
I turn north on South Ave. toward the old 20C, Main St., the main drag toward what used to be Holcomb.
I avoid Main St. to 64 because I got nailed there once. The speed-limit is 30 mph.
The speed-limit here is also 30 mph, so I slow.
Almost immediately a clapped-out Chevrolet Lumina falls behind me, its glowering driver gesticulating madly.
We pass Oakmount Ave. where a NY state trooper is pulling out onto our street.
I’m down the 30 mph, and the Earnhardt wannabee is furious, climbing my bumper.
The trooper is behind him.
Does this guy have any idea what the speed-limit is, or that a trooper is behind?
Suddenly the trooper’s red roof lights start flashing; he’s pulling the Lumina over.
This is a rare and precious event; I’m not being nailed myself.
This time it’s my jerky follower, the Earnhardt wannabee.
I’ve impeded State Troopers before on this segment, doing exactly 30 mph, per the speed-limit.
This incident reminds me of a trip to Altoona, PA long ago.
I was doing the speed-limit, and all-of-a-sudden a gray Pontiac sedan roared up behind me, its glowering driver gesticulating madly.
He roared past, floored, giving me the one-finger salute as he passed.
He then disappeared up the road.
Up ahead I noticed a white Crown Vic on the horizon pulled off on a side road.
Soon I was passing the Crown Vic with the Pontiac pulled over.
• We live in the small rural town of West Bloomfield in Western NY, southeast of Rochester. Adjacent is the rural town of East Bloomfield, and the village of Bloomfield is within it. The village of “Holcomb,” to the northeast, seceded from Bloomfield long ago, but recently merged back into Bloomfield village. (We live in “Ontario County.”)
• “5&20” is the main east-west road (a two-lane highway) through our area; State Route 5 and U.S. Route 20, both on the same road. 5&20 is just south of where we live.
• “Old 20C” is what used to be a state highway toward Holcomb. It branched off 5&20. It was made into no longer a state highway, and no longer intersected with 5&20. Instead it intersects with State Highway 64, just north of 5&20.(“64” is State Highway 64, a main highway north out of East Bloomfield toward Rochester.)
• “Earnhardt” is Dale Earnhardt, deceased, of NASCAR fame, who used to tailgate race-leaders and bump them at speed until they let him pass.
•
Altoona (“al-TUNE-uh”), is the location of “Horseshoe Curve,” by far the BEST railfan spot I have ever been to. Horseshoe Curve is now a national historic site. It was a trick used by the Pennsylvania Railroad to get over the Allegheny mountains without steep grades. Horseshoe Curve was opened in 1854, and is still in use. I am a railfan, and have been since I was a child. —I’ve been there hundreds of times, since it’s only about five hours away.
• A “Crown Vic “ is a Ford Crown Victoria, the full-size Ford sedan police departments often use as police cruisers.
All because of a speed-trap on the east side of the village.
I doubt it’s intended as a speed-trap, but that’s what happens.
The speed-limit on 5&20 through Bloomfield village is 35 mph, entirely prudent since it’s a residential area.
Exiting what appears to be the village to the east you descend a defile, and drive up the other side.
What happens if you’re not paying attention is your car will speed up as it descends the hill, so even though you may have been doing 35 in the village, you’re up to 40+ at the hill’s bottom.
Bloomfield village goes clear to Oakmount Road on the other side of the defile, as does its 35 mph speed-limit.
An Ontario County Sheriff’s Deputy is often on the other side with his radar.
I’m sure the officers cut some slack.
They know a car will go faster as it descends the hill.
If you already were going too fast through Bloomfield village, ya might approach 45+ going down the hill.
I’ve been nailed in this same exact spot at least five times over the past 20 years.
After the last time I said “ENOUGH!”
There has to be some other way to Canandaigua beside 5&20.
And there is. But to get to the Canandaigua National Bank branch in what used to be Holcomb, and what used to be the Holcomb Post-Office, I must drive through Bloomfield village.
So I’m entering Bloomfield village yesterday (Monday, August 2, 2010) on 5&20 from the west, and slow to 35 mph.
I turn north on South Ave. toward the old 20C, Main St., the main drag toward what used to be Holcomb.
I avoid Main St. to 64 because I got nailed there once. The speed-limit is 30 mph.
The speed-limit here is also 30 mph, so I slow.
Almost immediately a clapped-out Chevrolet Lumina falls behind me, its glowering driver gesticulating madly.
We pass Oakmount Ave. where a NY state trooper is pulling out onto our street.
I’m down the 30 mph, and the Earnhardt wannabee is furious, climbing my bumper.
The trooper is behind him.
Does this guy have any idea what the speed-limit is, or that a trooper is behind?
Suddenly the trooper’s red roof lights start flashing; he’s pulling the Lumina over.
This is a rare and precious event; I’m not being nailed myself.
This time it’s my jerky follower, the Earnhardt wannabee.
I’ve impeded State Troopers before on this segment, doing exactly 30 mph, per the speed-limit.
This incident reminds me of a trip to Altoona, PA long ago.
I was doing the speed-limit, and all-of-a-sudden a gray Pontiac sedan roared up behind me, its glowering driver gesticulating madly.
He roared past, floored, giving me the one-finger salute as he passed.
He then disappeared up the road.
Up ahead I noticed a white Crown Vic on the horizon pulled off on a side road.
Soon I was passing the Crown Vic with the Pontiac pulled over.
• We live in the small rural town of West Bloomfield in Western NY, southeast of Rochester. Adjacent is the rural town of East Bloomfield, and the village of Bloomfield is within it. The village of “Holcomb,” to the northeast, seceded from Bloomfield long ago, but recently merged back into Bloomfield village. (We live in “Ontario County.”)
• “5&20” is the main east-west road (a two-lane highway) through our area; State Route 5 and U.S. Route 20, both on the same road. 5&20 is just south of where we live.
• “Old 20C” is what used to be a state highway toward Holcomb. It branched off 5&20. It was made into no longer a state highway, and no longer intersected with 5&20. Instead it intersects with State Highway 64, just north of 5&20.(“64” is State Highway 64, a main highway north out of East Bloomfield toward Rochester.)
• “Earnhardt” is Dale Earnhardt, deceased, of NASCAR fame, who used to tailgate race-leaders and bump them at speed until they let him pass.
•
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• A “Crown Vic “ is a Ford Crown Victoria, the full-size Ford sedan police departments often use as police cruisers.
posted by BobbaLew at 8:14 AM
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