Gov. Patrick: Travel Ban Still in Effect
February 9th, 2013
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB) — Mass. Governor Deval Patrick says that a travel ban signed yesterday remains in effect Saturday morning.
He says that while most of the storm has passed, the state still has a “serious situation on our hands.”
The Governor adds that the state has practically every piece of equipment that can carry a plow on the roadways.
With regard to the travel ban, Patrick says that he will assessing the situation and the data over the next few hours and will make a determination then if any modification to the ban is needed.
Patrick adds that cities and town have asked the Mass. Emergency Management Agency to assist in the snow cleanup and removal. He says that the agency is going through
@ Bee R u serious?A ticket….really?
@ Bee Moe R u serious?A ticket….really?
Travel ban what a joke
So did he give you a ticket or cancel it?
So how can the malls open?
Has anyone been arrested because of the ban? This is too much Government power! Why isn’t the Media speaking out?
its pretty rediculous that my job is making me go to work but i get there and theres no parking spot, i run inside to tell them i cant work and a cop is already writing me a ticket…
Its good the governor has put this ban in affect. Then non emergency personal cant get in trouble for not going to work!
@Robert, I honestly can’t tell if you are joking or not. The ban is supposed to keep nonessential traffic off of the roads so that they can clear them out in order to open up the roads and make access for emergency vehicles.
I have read many comments about how people think the Governor’s travel ban is an abuse of power. I believe most of those people lack the intelligence to stay home if he had not put the ban in effect. In this instance, I believe he was right. There doesn’t seem to be alot of common sense left in our society, so I’m glad he made that call. This way those fools will not keep the road crews from getting their jobs done and I can get out sooner!
@ Diana. I hope you don’t have to drive anyone to the hospital. Do you want to get arrested for doing that? WGGB needs to speak out against this. Lead the way amoungst the local media!
I won’t drive anyone to the hospital, I’ll call 911 and an ambulance will get us there.
State and local police will NOT be actively out pulling people over for violating the ban. However anyone who gets into an accident or has to be plowed out if they get stuck or go off the road WILL face the penalty which could be up to one year in jail.
i work as a home health aid , i have a client in palmer they are 85 and 86 years old i dont expect them to shovel the drive way or side walk i put my hazards on and ran inside the door was inside for about 3 mins and i see a cop in his car he told me u cant park here i said im not parking he was half way through the ticket when i explained my situation and let me go.
Last night my friend’s friend got arrested and fined!
@ Rose. I hope you don’t need to drive anyone to the hospital. Do you like the Government telling you what to do and when to do it? Do you like the Government running your life? Have you ever read “1984″?
*Ambulance being an emergency vehicle which isn’t affected by the ban on driving.
Fair enough. I would hope the ambulance makes it on time.
There is no way a 2 wheel drive ambulance would make it down my street. The snow on my street is waist high!
Seriously who needs to be out in this anyway.. everything should be closed again except for essential places. Malls don’t constitute essential.. i mean everyone bled the grocery stores dry the last 2 days what else do u need stay home and let the crews clear the roads properly
The crews are sleeping now. They won’t be out until the afternoon, said gov. Deval Patrick
Common sense, Diana! Glad to see someone still has some.
@bee make your employer pay it.
Robert, are you serious? Have you read the content of the MEMA travel ban? It says “Law enforcement is being asked to interpret the exceptions broadly; the objective is to limit traffic as much as possible while allowing critical public and private sector services and functions to use the roads as necessary.”
I’m pretty sure the police aren’t going to arrest someone who’s trying to drive to a hospital. My guess is the ban was put into affect to keep idiots who don’t have any common sense off the roads.
http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/mema/
Hitler banned travel in Germany. Just saying.
1984 is about total Government control where they torture people who go against the government. Is a $500 fine anywhere comparable to what would happen in 1984?