Pink Dot traffic giving some residents the blues

Jenna Bordelon

NORTHWEST DISTRICT -- With more and more people ordering groceries

from home-delivery companies, the issue of driver safety has become a

concern for some Burbank families.

Maple Street resident Steve Holgate is extremely concerned. For the

past two years, he said he has been watching Pink Dot, now PDQuick,

delivery drivers speeding down his block.

A block that has, by Holgate’s estimate, at least 15 kids who could be

playing on it at any given time.

“I bought a home in a residential area,” he said. “I did not buy a

home in a Pink Dot commercial-delivery zone.

“There has to be a point where big business has consideration for the

neighboring community they are serving,” said Holgate.

Camarillo-based PDQuick has outlets all around Southern California and

plans to expand out of state.

Safety is the company’s first concern, vice president of operations,

Alan Wilkerson, said.

“We generally get our orders to people in under an hour,” he said.

“That’s really where our speed is emphasized.”

Drivers are required to obey all traffic laws, he said.

But Holgate said that is not always the case.

At around 3 p.m. Aug. 17, Holgate’s son Austin, 10, and his friend

Erik Brewer, 9, were playing with their Razor scooters by the curb in

front of Holgate’s home. Austin said a dark blue car with a Pink Dot sign

on it deliberately veered into the parking lane and passed within inches

of Erik.

“I could see (the driver’s) lips moving,” Erik said. “It looked like

he was saying bad words.”

Sgt. Ron Caruso of the traffic division of the Burbank Police

Department has received at least three complaints from residents. He has

instructed his officers to keep an eye out for speeders in the area.

“Without knowing the particulars and the proximity to the child and

those type of things,” Caruso said, “I would say it’s unclear from the

info I have whether it’s a traffic violation or an assault.”

Burbank PDQuick manager Artour Elmoyan had not heard about the

incident, but said he is working hard to instruct his drivers on the

rules of the road.

“We’re always having meetings with the drivers,” he said. “I teach

them that first of all, it’s not safe and second of all, you’ll get

tickets.”

This is small comfort to Erik’s mother, Rhonda Brewer. She lodged a

complaint with the police on Aug. 22.

“It’s scary to think your kids can’t play in the street,” she said. “I

didn’t see why he would do that to my child because we hadn’t had any

confrontations before.”

Lt. Chris Welker of the traffic division said the department has given

out a few citations to PDQuick drivers. The citations were for equipment

violations and not traffic-related.

“At this point,” she said, “we don’t really have a lot to support the

claims for recklessness.”

Holgate said he wants PDQuick drivers off his street permanently.

“They have no consideration for the homeowner,” he said. “Obviously

they don’t, or they would have done something before now.”