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Deronda Neighbor Takes Action
Call him vigilante or activist, but while looking for a label, just say a huge, thank you, to Rico. He's getting an early start in his efforts to manage traffic on upper Deronda. "Last summer was the worst since I moved here a few years ago...and it must be because of the GPS."
 | | Rico explaining where tourist should park and where they should NOT park. |
His experience and that of the neighbors living behind the gate at the top of Deronda echo that of many of the other neighbors living on Deronda north of Rockcliff. He and his neighbors live on a private section with a security gate. It's not uncommon that, once the resident goes through the gate, a tourist car follows before there is a chance to close it. Tourists get caught behind the gate on weekends and especially in the summer and other high tourists seasons. A knock on one of the doors usually requires the neighbor to come out and open that gate. Then, there's the matter of tourists parking across the gate and leaving their car "just for a moment" while taking their Hollywood Sign photo and moving on. Yet, Rico doesn't treat tourists as enemies but rather as guests that need some guidance.
Saturday, May 21st, was a relatively calm day for Deronda. Rico took up his spot at Deronda and Rockcliff wearing a bright vest and carrying a clipboard. Cones were placed on both sides of the street to get attention. As cars approached, he would greet them with a smile and instructions on how to park during their visit and give them a temporary "pass" to display on their windshield during their stay. Then, a check mark would go on Rico's tally sheet. His goal was to count how many cars came up that street in the time that he was on "duty".
As cars would leave, Rico would take the pass from the windshield, ask if they had a good time and where they would go next, giving brief directions to help the tourist on their way out of the neighborhood.
Long ago, residents of upper Deronda placed their own sawhorses at Rockcliff and Deronda to keep tourists out. These were routinely stolen so the effort stopped. This weekend action that Rico has started controls traffic without denying it access. And, at the same time, keeping track of the number of tourists visiting in a given time span and educating tourists one car at a time on how to park and conduct themselves during their stay. "I rather enjoyed being out in the sun and meeting people from all over the world." He added, "The tourist are like clock work to me now and I know the peak times like the back of my hand."
 | | Tourists feel better when given good guidance. |
It's clear that Rico enjoys this, but he tells me that, in a month or so, he will be calling some of his generous neighbors to share the experience. Several are eager for the invite, as July may be very active up there.
Thanks, Rico, for your energy, spirit, and willingness to do what you can to make a difference. All of Deronda appreciates your efforts and it's clear that the tourists are grateful, too.
If you're interested in giving Rico some help as things get busy, send us your email address and we'll forward it to him right away. Send email to BeachwoodCanyon@sbcglobal.net.
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