Editor: Just another Monday afternoon in Sonoma, at around 2:45 when I was returning from getting my mail at my community mailbox I watched another driver screech around the corner of Lomita and Verano Avenue. Driving a Green VW Passat station wagon he was increasing the speed, literally, well above the posted 25 MPH. Something seemed familiar about this driver though, not knowing why but soon I was to find out.
I made my way the 30 feet across Verano Avenue, to my truck and hopped in. Yes, I was following him this time. As I was one car behind him (due to being held up by the same cars as children were crossing the street). He had made a sharp right onto Robinson Road south, then took off again. Trying to catch a license plate but not break the speed limit, I watched as he made a nonstop left hand turn on Fano Lane eastbound. If you didn’t already know this, that intersection has a stop sign followed by an additional stop sign on Fano Lane.
As I turned the corner onto Fano Lane, I counted One, One Thousand, Two, One Thousand etc., counting to the mailbox at the end of Fano and as I lost track as he shot down Fifth Street West. By the time I reached Fifth Street I was at One Thousand 32. At 25 MPH, you can calculate the speed which I was traveling, as I turned right on Fifth Street West, I saw him turn right or at least I thought it was him, turning onto West Spain, westbound. I had a hunch, so I turned the corner also, behind a truck and trailer gardener, I continued to Highway 12 where our Green Passat was at the light.
Well I was going home anyway. I turned right, as he sped off then turned into the auto dealer on Highway 12 across from Maxwell Village. (I was later told by Sonoma Police that I can not name this company). After stopping next door at Big O and talking to one employee I’ve known for a long time, he told me a story about a Green Passat which had (in his words) “Auto Bahn’d,” out onto Highway 12 and Lomita minutes earlier. I laughed and told him it was back.
I made a stupid mistake and pursued it more. I walked into the car dealer, and asked an associate if he could tell me who was test driving the Passat? He said it was the owner and he was working on the Passat for a customer and took it for a road test. At this time, I was approached by the owner and I asked him nicely to slow down in the residential roads he was just on. He denied doing it until he followed me out to my truck and then said, “you followed me back here?” He threatened to call the police, but didn’t. I went to the police and told the story, after finding out my neighbor did the same thing earlier in the day. They said there is really nothing they can do.
I’m wondering if the residents of Sonoma know that a local business owner is using our residential streets as a test track for his customers and a vehicle test area, faster than posted speed for his mechanical verification? What if his work fails? What if this was your neighborhood (and actually, it is.) We pay to live here and keep our families SAFE, we don’t pay to live in a test area.
Is this what we pay so much to live here for? Maybe the community should know that the neighbors are watching, and the businesses? Having businesses in Sonoma can work two ways but safety has to be a part of that. Safety for their customers.
I await responses to see if our neighbors really do care or if they won’t because they think it won’t happen in their back yards.
Peter Chrimson
Sonoma
Peter, as a resident of this side of town, I too have witnessed the Business in your Letter. I have personally watched as test drivers including Multiple Teenagers, in a Black BMW Sedan fail to stop at the Lomita / Verano intersection and leave a line of rubber at the intersection, while a School Bus was letting off kids. When approached the business owner told me to mind my own business.
Being the Devils advocate, I understand that this Business provides to local charities, as I have been reminded but also being said the local business owner is responsible for who takes vehicles off of his lot.
The posted Speed Limit in our area ranges from 25MPH to higher on Highway 12. Unfortunately it’s not the area where you would want to test drive the luxury vehicles which are sold at this business.
Verano Ave, Fano Lane, 5th Street West and the surrounding residential community, deals with enough traffic problems from drivers using these roadways to cut through Sonoma.
We can remember, the woman who was dragged down Verano Ave many years ago or the little girl hit in the crosswalk just about 2 years ago.
So, I agree with you. but from what I have seen, local residents seem not to care about the well being and safety of their families or their neighbors either.
I’d like to see them prove me wrong and slow down these and other drivers.