More Woes for LA "Burb" Parking

On July 1, those who parked their RV on the streets of Lakewood, California, a suburb city southeast of LA we apt to find a warning citation on their rig. That's because, like so many other municipalities, Lakewood's governing body and area residents by majority vote determined that RVs on the streets just couldn't be neat. Or, rather, that RV parking was incompatible with safety.

To lessen the blow, the city pursued a plan which would have provided RV storage spots for hundreds of RVs in an otherwise unused tract of land: A space directly beneath California Edison power transmission lines. 'Not so fast!' came the reply from the local fire agency. Putting a "nix" on the proposal, the local fire department determined the risks to both the public and firefighters were just too high. Citing the possibility of electrocution to RVers or firemen should the lines catch fire, the fire department's objection put an end to the storage suggestion.

While one RV trade journal decries the decision as a, 'lame excuse' there may be some precedent for the call. Earlier this year north of Perth, Australia, a 26-year-old schoolteacher lost her life trying to escape a fire caused by the "clashing" of high tension power lines. And for decades the debate has gone back and forth regarding the dangers of electromagnetic radiation associated with high voltage transmission lines.

For the story on the fire department's decision, visit the Long Beach, CA Press Telegram.

Stock photo courtesy U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Agency