I guess you could say that Joe and I are professionals when it comes to tourists. We live 9 miles from Disney World, which means we see a lot of tourists on a regular basis. Sure, we might curse under our breath when a lost tourist is going 10mph under the speed limit in the left-hand lane. And we may say those adult words even louder when the same tourist suddenly cuts through 4 lanes of traffic because they just realized they have to make a right-hand turn at the next light.
But we understand, because we’ve been those tourists. OK maybe we didn’t cut off 4 lanes of traffic because we know we can just drive an extra few blocks to slowly merge into the right-hand lane, make that turn and then simply backtrack. But we’ve certainly been guilty of trolling for nonexistent parking spots in areas around Dollywood, the Grand Canyon, Florida beaches, etc.
That being said, even as residents in a tourist town, we never, EVER approach tourists to “correct” them about anything particularly “touristy” that they’re doing. We know it’s just one of those “it is what it is” situations.
Apparently that’s not the case in Jerome, Arizona.
Founded in 1876, Jerome is a small town (population 416) in Central Arizona. Located between Prescott and Flagstaff, and about 100 miles north of Phoenix, it was, during its heyday, a copper mining town once known for its large number of brothels, saloons and opium dens (hence its nickname, “The Wickedest Town in the West”). The town has since calmed down considerably and is generally known for its history, as well as Jerome State Park, Douglas Mansion (built in 1916 by a mining magnate), Audrey Headframe park (it has a glass viewing platform over a 1918 mine shaft), and bunches of art galleries and small wineries. It’s also known as the largest ghost town in the country.
Jerome gets about a million visitors per year and apparently some of the locals have been yelling at them, or leaving nasty notes on their cars. The Jerome Police Department found out about it and posted the following on their social media:
July 11Hello Jerome Citizens,
It has come to our attention that some people visiting our town on short visits and using lawful short term parking passes are being yelled at or having notes left on their cars by local residents. Yelling at, or leaving notes could, in some cases, constitute harassment under Arizona Revised Statutes. If you feel there may be a parking violation please notify the Jerome Police Department to investigate. We can be reached during business hours or by leaving a message in off hours at 928-634-8992. If you wish to have an officer respond in a non-emergency manner, call our dispatch at 928-634-2245. As always, in any emergency, call 911.
Update: July 14, 2022
We would like to offer a clarification on our original post. This was never intended to call out any specific person or group of persons. We are simply reminding our residents to call us if they observe a possible crime like trespassing, or violation of Town code, such as a parking violation. It is always better to allow the police department to handle these issues.
Update July 15, 2022
Well, this issue has blown up in the media. This morning I saw that the AP story had made it all the was to New Zealand! Must not be a newsworthy day today.Since this post was ran by the associated press, only one news agency has bothered to ask what it was about. I spoke to them and told them my primary concern was that we not have a physical altercation over a simple parking issue. I say this because often there seems to be a lack of respect for one another in society today, and that can lead to violence. Please understand that you never know the state of mind of the person you may confront. Leave the confrontations to the police, that is our job.We have clearly posted signage advising visitors of places they are not to park, and we issue citations to violators. We ask that visitors understand that the residents who live here have a right to park where they live, so when they return home after getting off work, or return home with groceries, they have a place to park.Visitors, there is a large paved and patrolled free parking area just past the fire station with a shuttle that routinely provides transportation if you don’t want to walk the short walk to the main part of town.Please, do not confront others over disputes you may have, give the police department a call 24/7 at 928-634-2245 or if the situation is an emergency call 911.We ask everybody to work with us to get through these problems.Respectfully,Allen L. Muma, ChiefJerome Police Department
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
1 comment
I dunno, “Tourist family attacked for parking in Arizona brothel town” sounds like a headline that could really go viral. I suppose it depends on how badly the town wants publicity.