To the Editor,

The Robesonian recently published a photograph of a child playing basketball on a Lumberton street. It was enabled by those who sell basketball goal assemblies equipped with wheels for portability. As one who travels through Lumberton’s neighborhoods by vehicle these portable goal assemblies are frequently parked in the designated and defined “Public Street” right of way, posing a danger to our youths as well as motorist. Most of the goals bases are black and difficult to see in the dark.

The safety of the children concerns me the the most. Why do parents/guardians bait or enable their children to play in the traveled public right-of-way?

Additionally it places the operators of motor vehicles at risk of litigation should they be involved in a incident which may result from the unfortunate misuse of and unauthorized placement of portable basketball goal assemblies. Driveways are not necessarily a safe location either. They typically are designed with a downward slope. This routs rolling or freely bouncing balls toward the public street.

Portable goals are typically black and when left in the street tend to disappear in the dark, creating a hazard to the motoring public. However my major concern is the person who may be chasing the ball that just shot across the street 30 feet from my car.

John Thompson

Lumberton