Massachusetts Allows Cameras to Fine Folks Who Block Bus Stops

The traffic at drive-thru windows at fast food joints, including the new Chick-fil-A in Dartmouth, any Dunkin' or Starbucks location, and just about anywhere else that consumers are too lazy to get out of their cars to go inside continues to amaze me.

Usually there are fewer people inside, meaning quicker service for those not adverse to walking a few yards, than there are for those who are willing to sit for an eternity with their motor running in the drive-thru.

In some locations, such as the Dunks on Main Street in Acushnet and the one on Reed Road in Dartmouth, the caffeine-deprived feel it's okay to continue the line onto the road, blocking traffic and the normal folk who only want to get by.

READ MORE: Dartmouth Chick-fil-A Grand Opening Features Fairhaven Cow

In some of Massachusetts' more crowded cities, such as Boston, Worcester, and even New Bedford and Fall River, some fast-food enthusiasts who've ordered online are parking in bus stops to run in and collect their pre-paid lattes, tacos or chicken nuggets.

"I'm only going to be gone a minute," whine the privileged. It's like the people who park in fire zones in front of the supermarket, since the laws apply to everyone else but not to them.

Well, the day of reckoning may be near for some of these special people.

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MassLive.com reported, "A new law allows public transit agencies and municipalities to fine drivers for blocking bus lanes or bus stops," even for a minute while they rush in to get their cold brew.

The publication says violators will be identified by "an automated camera mounted on the front of a public bus or at the bus stop."

The enforcement action, approved by the MBTA board, will be launched in the Greater Boston area; however, according to MassLive.com, "the rules could also be adopted by municipalities and regional transit authorities across Massachusetts."