The following is via TLS:
Two 16-year-old Lakewood Bachurim were ticketed for hitchhiking in Jackson.
One of the boys tells TLS they were looking for a ride on West County Line Road in Jackson when two police officers came out of their vehicles and asked them for their license and registration.
“We didn’t know what was happening to us – I had no idea what they’re talking about,” the boy – who has no license – said.
The officers proceeded to lecture them about the dangers of hitchhiking, and issue each of them $54 tickets.
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27 Responses
what is the point here. we are tought that you are not supposed to hitch
as for the ticket , there under age
From what i hear lakewood is plagued with illegal hitchhikers.
The lakewood cops has their hands tied so to speak by the local askaim.The jackson cops on the other hand on simply not going to put up with it. Its dangerous both for the bachurim and has caused many car accidents in lakewood already. Genig shoyn.
Its the parents and yeshivas responsibility to make sure the bachurim get whete they are suppose to in a safe manner.
Bravo! Good for the officers! Finally!
It seems like they were confronted with dignity and respect – not the routine by officers of the badge in today’s world!
Hitchhiking, besides being illegal, is utterly dangerous. Sadly it’s become the norm. Here in Lakewood it’s rampant. I’m sure it’s no different elsewhere. It is dangerous and it’s got to stop!
They should not be hitchhiking in places where hitchhiking is not accepted.
The police did a good job. What is the story here?
Glad the cops did it. It’s pretty dangerous to hitchhike even in Lakewood. Remember the 3 boys in Eretz Yisroel (HYD).The driver and passengers looked like Jews. Could happen anywhere Chas v’shalom.
so I reckon that hitch hiking is illegal?
License and registration for hitchhiking? Really?
Yosse,
16 is not under age. Maybe you are under age?
Garlic – In the US state New Jersey (or as the locals call it, Jersey) it is illegal to hitchhike. This is provided by 39:4-5, which states: “Begging rides prohibited. No person shall stand in a highway for the purpose of or while soliciting a ride from the operator of any vehicle other than an omnibus or a street car.”
I’m disappointed in the posters here
Hitchhiking is an opportunity to to a mitzvah. I routinely give frum people rides. Whether in Brooklyn, Lakewood or EY . Why leave a fellow yid to stand out in the elements? If you have the finances to afford a car , why not share that wealth?
Of course if it’s dangerous to stop I don’t. But if it’s not?
I simply can not understand the mindframe of those who are the children of avraham avinu to rationalize not doing Chesed . And please don’t argue it’s dangerous. Halachically one episode in Israel doesn’t outway the obligation to help thousands. And don’t argue the law. My law (halacha) says that you help a yid in need.
It’s Elul . Three things save you from din. Chesed is one.
The point is not danger or legality, it is that Jackson cops gave teens a ticket, dont you think it would have been more productive to explain to them the danger and legality of hitching rather than issue a ticket? all they accomplished is, now these teens will have a negative view of law enforcement when it could have been positive
clearly anti-semitism 🙂
mentsch1: Picking up a hitchhiker maybe an act of chesed but the hitchhiker is violating NJ law whether you like it or not. I am not so naive to believe these boys were looking for a ride just so the driver can be credited with an act of chesed.
I just hope the hitchhikers are vaccinated against measles.
mentsch – the statute forbids “begging” for a ride. Like standing on the shoulder of the road or in the highway with your thumb out. Seeing someone walking and offering them a ride voluntarily isn’t forbidden. I agree with you that offering rides to people you see walking is a mitzvah. However, standing in or next to the road is a real hazard for causing accidents, which can kill, including killing the clueless person trying to hitchhike. There’s also the “dina d’malchusa dina” aspect. This law wasn’t enacted just to inconvenience Jews. There is a real hazard involved.
And a ticket is much more educational than a warning. These kids will now have to explain to their parents why they have to pay for the ticket (which really isn’t that great an amount) and the lecture they will get will stick longer than anything a random police officer can tell them on the roadside.
@mensch1…you clearly missed the point if what people are saying…nobody saying it’s not nice or mitzvah to give a ride…its the other perspective where one is looking for a ride and not knowing who’s going to stop
@Eric you want to debate the value of a knas?? maybe these will now think twice before trying to get a ride with strangers
Eric55, I should think that is the job of the parents. Most people don’t depend on LE as an educational resource. Safety Town is a national program that educates children about personal, bicycle and traffic safety. It is a cooperative effort between schools and LE. Perhaps it’s time the private schools in Lkwd adopt the program. There is a saying, ‘ignorance of the law is no excuse’.
I’ve seen fellows hitchhiking in Lkwd at night with no reflective material on their clothing. Somehow they seem to think that a person wearing black hitching on the side of the road at night is visible. Daytime hitchhiking is equally problematic.
Did the cop at least offer the boys a ride? If the donut eater was truly “so concerned” for their welfare, that’s the first thing he should of said.
We have become a police state. The bum that gave them the tickets are just like the Pallisades police. Quotas=rewards=revenue. Corruption breeds corruption. These cops couldn’t care less about any citizens welfare. Their only objective is, that THEY get home safely at night.
Hitching is illegal. Safety, chessed, and your opinion on the law are all irrelevant. These bochrim broke the law, and they got punished for it. Now- should we change the law? Does it make sense and is it fair? We can debate these things, but the fact that people breaking the law got tickets should not be in any way controversial.
AZ -excellent point. Ask the drivers of Monsey how often they nearly hit someone who’s walking at night in a proper black suit with no reflector. How many people are hit every year? I know it’s hard in an area that doesn’t have sidewalks, but you have to take the proper precautions to safeguard yourself.
Seeing the great idea of raincoats with built-in hoods for yeshivishe hats, couldn’t someone come up with a reflector vest or patch that could be put on over a suit without damaging it or being a tircha? Something you could fold up and keep in your pocket easily. That would help, if you could get people to use it.
Realistic
I didn’t miss the point. Pulling over to the curb is something done safely by every driver , every taxi and bus on the planet.
If it’s a safe spot to pull over and you don’t. That’s an act of callousness.
I have helped dozens of people with rides. Most are at bus stops getting soaked or sweating or freezing while waiting for a bus that never seems to come when it is supposed to. And all of them are incredibly appreciative.
Try it sometime you might feel good about yourself (instead of being the grumpy law sticklers you all seem to be)
I guess my working for a law enforcement agency for 35 years has made me a “grumpy law enforcement stickler”. I would ask you is a mitzvah habah baveira still a mitzvah? The boys neglected Dinah dmslchusa Dinah.
You seem to think that we passed by these 2 bits and did not give them a ride. We are pointing out that the police officers (not donut eaters) were doing their job. It is not their job to give rides to hitchhikers. In my office it would be a violation of the rules for use of a NYS vehicle.
mentsch, pay attention. Nobody is saying don’t offer rides. If I were standing at a bus stop in the rain and you offered me a ride of course I would be grateful. And if I were driving by a bus stop and saw you in the same situation I would offer. What’s being discussed, and what the law forbids, is what in Israel is called “tremping.” You stand at the side of the road with your hand out (or in the US, thumb up) and hope someone will give you a ride. This is active – standing by or in the road where you could be hit, or where a car swerving to avoid you could be in a crash with another car. It’s dangerous both to the person tremping and to cars which might have to pull into the other lane to avoid them.
That’s why it’s illegal, and since this malchus shel chesed, dina d’malchusa dina. This is a country friendly to us Jews and we are obligated to obey the laws as long as they don’t force us to go against the Torah.
“couldn’t someone come up with a reflector vest or patch that could be put on over a suit without damaging it or being a tircha? Something you could fold up and keep in your pocket easily.”
Such vests already exist. They’re available at stores that sell running/biking accessories.
I wonder if the HTML tags work here as in the CR.
Midwest
Pay attention
As I’ve said numerous times here and in the CR , it can easily be done without danger.
As I said in the CR somehow we all manage to pull over to the curb numerous times in our driving careers without causing accidents. Taxis do it all day long
If it was really dangerous do you think it would be legal in over 90% of the US states? (Which it is)