Question: Living in Lakewood New Jersey it is not uncommon to see many young boys hitchhiking. I feel uncomfortable about picking them up for safety reasons. On the other hand, is it rude not to give these boys without transportation a lift? Thirdly, people who do pickup hitchhikers often block other cars and cause traffic.
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With all due respect to rabbi . If you would see first hand the dangers involved on many streets you would have answered slot differently
ReplyDeleteAnd what happened to the term of mitzvah Hannah Barbara by causing near accidents by NOT putting on your blinker to pull over.
The Rabbi does not have to discuss f one should turn on his blinker the question was general pertaining to picking up passengers in a safe way.
DeleteWill you be asking him weather it's ok to have a mall built in Lakewood which will be causing tremendous gezel zman among other issues?
ReplyDeleteMaybe Hannah and Barbara don't use their blinkers. However I am sure the Rabbi would recommend using your blinkers. He even mentioned double parking in the city where the minhag is to use both blinkers.
ReplyDeleteLol
DeleteChill out.
Anonymous at 10:12 meant Haba B'aveyra
Not Hanna Barbera.
Don't you love auto correct?
Yabadaba Doo :-)
The Rav must not have realized that it is illegal to stop in the middle of the road to drop off or pickup a hitchhiker. One needs to be pulled over aa felt in the shoulder. Since it is illegal and also dangerous when a car suddenly grinds to a stop while a row of cars were driving behind it, there is a large chillul hashem aspect too.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Rav said it's normal to stop to pick up or drop someone off - there is a big difference between Brooklyn and Lakewood. If you are driving down East 12th in Flatbush and need to stop to let someone off, there most likely is no where to pull over fully so you pUllman near the row of parked cast and most cars behind you ( that were anyway going slow) can go around you.
In Lakewood,if you are driving down say Pine St, and there's a long line of cars behind you m and sunderlying you slam on the brakes to pick someone up, it is dangerous and is holding up the entire traffic flow of the street.
Just remember , a shyla is generally answered the way u present it. The questioner left out alot of facts about what happenes in this town. And to compare brooklyn to lakewood is absurd.
ReplyDeleteAt the going rate, our Lakewood will be Brooklyn soon enough. Who would have thought 10 years ago it would be this bad now?
DeleteBe a mentch! If it will not block traffic, how can someone just see someone else waiting for a ride and not stop to pick them up? Hashem have you a comfortable warm car and the other guy should freeze in the street?
ReplyDeleteBe a mentch, just use your sechel not to inconvenience others while you're doing it
I agree with your scenario. But that case is exception. The rule in this town for the most part is that hitchickers stand at busy intersections, and that's why the Shula was asked. This Shula was never asked in a case where it doesn't cause near accidents and a disturbance of traffic.
DeleteWhy does a rabbi need to be asked about this? We have laws in our wonderful country.
ReplyDeleteHe seems to be saying that if you are in a place where it is safe and it is understood that people pull over to make deliveries etc. then you can also pitch up hitchhikers. He is not addressing a situation where the above isn't true.
ReplyDeleteJust to understand people's frustration, only a few short years ago driving in Lakewood was bearable so naturally people had patience to stop & give people a ride, or even to wait a few seconds for the person in front to pickup someone. Today the average driver is driving in fury & rage after sitting in endless gridlock traffic, and therefore they lose it if someone causes them extra travel time by picking up a hitchhiker, since they're already at their wits ends.
ReplyDeleteMy friends used to always pickup people, but now they're so frustrated & agitated that even the thought of adding a few seconds to their commute is too much for them.