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Video: Have YOU Rolled Through 'The Belmont Stop'?

This Belmont intersection was featured in a KRON-4 News segment of "People Behaving Badly." Did this video capture anyone you know?

A recent KRON-4 segment of "People Behaving Badly" with Stanley Roberts, took place in Belmont at what's now referred to in the accompanying YouTube video as "The Belmont Stop."

"The Belmont Stop" is the four-way stop sign at the corner of Cipriani Boulevard and Alameda de las Pulgas, through which many motorists apparently slowly roll through instead of coming to a complete stop.

The just-under-two-minute video shows a number of cars basically breaking the law by not coming to a complete stop at what Roberts notes is a "blind intersection," because it's difficult to see the cross-traffic at the intersection. The only vehicles to come to a complete stop are the SamTrans buses (whew!).

You can view the YouTube video by clicking here, or on the video link above.

The has not yet commented on the video.

Have YOU noticed 'people behaving badly' when it comes to making a full stop at Belmont intersections? Tell us about it in the comment section below.

Denise July 27, 2012 at 10:36 am
A year ago about 5am at Notre Dame and Valley View –It’s a 3 way stop, it was dark, and I could see there were no cars coming. I obviously didn’t see the police car with its lights off. He asked if I had a good reason for going through it. I didn’t offer one.
I received the $300 ticket in the mail. I should have come up something! I stop all the time now. I turn left onto Cipriani off Alameda every day. 50% of the time I have to cut in front of cars streaming over the hill. If it’s not cars it’s deer-It’s Belmont, and I love it!
Andrew July 27, 2012 at 11:50 am
I see it happening on Cipriani and Forest everyday when I wait for the bus.
Joan S. Dentler (Editor) July 27, 2012 at 11:54 am
Thanks Denise and Andrew....good reminders that there are some tricky intersections along the Alameda corridor. And Belmont PD is out there, so STOP at the stop signs!
George Metropulos July 27, 2012 at 01:24 pm
I live on Monroe, and every day is a challenge to turn onto The Alameda southbound. Why? People roll that very stop sign (which I cannot see from Monroe). Please, folks--be considerate!
Bill Doheny July 27, 2012 at 01:51 pm
I agree with Denise, it is very difficult to get your turn at this 4-way stop when making the left off Cipriani onto Alameda. This is not a blind intersection if you pull up the line (from any direction) and make a full stop.
Tim Hoffman July 27, 2012 at 02:04 pm
Ah, yes, the infamous Belmont 4-way clusterstop.
What's funny about this little KRON segment is that they don't even mention the forgotten fourth stop clear on the other side of Alameda, at Monroe. As I'm sure fellow neighborhood local George Metro would agree, trying to get through that intersection from Monroe is lots of laughs. The best is the look on Alameda drivers' faces when someone dares to enter that intersection from Monroe. That stop sign alone made me order the side-airbag package on my last few cars.
Tim Hoffman July 27, 2012 at 02:06 pm
Ha, George -- you beat me to the punch!
John Dough July 27, 2012 at 02:12 pm
Stop signs are over rated; It waste gas to stop at them and puts wear and tear on your break rotors. It better to just look both ways, let off the gas then firmly reapply it! Dont create extra emission, dont stop at stop signs unless there is another car in your way and then just apply the horn!
Joan S. Dentler (Editor) July 27, 2012 at 02:25 pm
John Dough....I'm not sure your theory would play well with law enforcement!
JoeD July 27, 2012 at 03:42 pm
To me the more concerning intersection at Hallmark and Ralston. If you are making a left turn from Hallmark onto Ralston, you basically intersect the pedestrian walk that has a walk sign enabled. Basically the traffic lights are allowing cross traffic against one another. The proper thing would be allowing the pedestrians to walk when the left turn signal is available when vehicles are turning left from Ralston onto to Hallmark. That way you don't have two streams crossing - crossing the stream is bad.
Coralin Feierbach July 27, 2012 at 05:04 pm
In the 70's and 80's there was a Belmont police officer on his motorcycle.
He knew where all best hiding spots were and he would catch speeders (including people who didn't stop at stop signs) all the time. After he would stop the speeder or the person who didn't stop at the sign, he would give them a lecture that they would never forget. Politically correct? No, but it got the job done. He was one scary dude but he did his job thoroughly - he was the best! (Of course at that time I thought he was terribly unfair :-))
Michael Williams July 27, 2012 at 06:09 pm
Striking how many stop sign runners are tradesmen, also among the most aggressive speeders on our Belmont sidestreets. I won't speculate on their motives or personality issues... but NOTHING they have to do is important enough to injure our Belmont residents with reckless and dangerous driving. My suggestion: If a tradesman has an accident in Belmont due to their negligence... pull their Belmont business license, required to do construction work here. That raises the ante on risk vs. reward.
Carol Neuman July 27, 2012 at 10:57 pm
I have been on Cipriani and have been yelled at for stopping at the stop signs. The last woman was a real screamer! When we got to Cipriani/Alameda, she started cursing at me and then went around me at the stop to turn left on the Alameda! She could not see but she was going anyway.....crazy...
Otto Nordpol July 28, 2012 at 12:41 am
I paid the Belmont commuter tax one sunny June morning at about 6:30 AM at one of the stop signs at ADP and Carlmont High. I'm sure you're shocked. The children! But none were in sight. They had ditched the place for the summer. I was just ambling towards the Chevron station to fuel up before heading to the office to give the wheels of commerce another spin. Frankly, I don't know if I stopped or not. But who could argue and win? I stopped. Kept my hands high on the wheel and made no slow movements, Paid the money, and wondered what happened to a free country.
Gladwyn d'Souza August 2, 2012 at 12:23 pm
we are never going to be able to vigilant everywhere all the time. Technology to the rescue. Use a cheap wireless surveillance camera to capture vehicle info and mail out tickets. The traditional costly option is also available. The national park service in the smoky mountain national park uses video surveillance built into a stop sign to capture license plates for future mailed out tickets.
Steven Hui August 2, 2012 at 07:00 pm
Exactly
J. Mannie August 3, 2012 at 12:47 am
I am surprised nobody has mentioned trying to turn left onto Ralston Ave. from South Rd. Just try coming off of South Rd. with a left onto Ralston at peak times; or,for that matter, any time of day. People driving along Ralston, especially SW, often seem genuinely shocked as they roll through the stop sign and only then notice the car coming into the intersection (on their rightful turn) from South Rd. turning left onto Ralston. And, perhaps a bit off topic, then there is the stop sign on Notre Dame just north of Middle Rd. at North Rd. Oddest placement for a stop sign ever. Can't help but press "roll through" issue. Why not at the Middle Rd. intersection instead? And, don't even get me started on the Cipriani and Semeria intersection!

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Michele Moyer June 16, 2013 at 09:17 am
Thanks Joan - there is one in the sub-head of the blog I posted on School-Force Voices today; wouldRead More love if it could be corrected. Been scratching my head til I saw this post :)
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Sorry about that! There's nothing I can do on my end----it's system-wide bug, which I believe isRead More fixed now. :)
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Christa Bigue (Editor) June 10, 2013 at 01:50 pm
Thanks Sam! You should also post this Half Moon Bay (halfmoonbay.patch.com) and Pacifica PatchRead More (pacifica.patch.com)! I'm sure our readers would appreciate the great tip!
Michael Williams June 9, 2013 at 04:12 pm
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don torre June 4, 2013 at 06:55 am
what do the local Belmont restaurants think of this? do these people pay a license to the city?
Joan S. Dentler (Editor) June 4, 2013 at 07:15 am
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