San Bruno police tell residents to stop placing cones to claim parking spots in front of homes

By CBS Bay Area

San Bruno police are putting residents on notice to stop placing cones or trash cans in front of their homes to reserve parking spots. 

For Marley Kayser, San Bruno has been home since 2003. And for just as long, she says, one thing has never changed: orange traffic cones.

“People just, you know, say, it’s my house, it’s my driveway, it’s my area, so we will just block it all,” Kayser said.

This week, San Bruno police issued a warning on social media telling residents to remove cones and other objects being used to block parking spaces. Under California law, it’s illegal to place cones, buckets, or anything else in the roadway to save a spot.

But for some residents, the cones aren’t about saving parking. They’re about protecting their cars. One longtime homeowner, who asked to remain anonymous, says her car has been hit repeatedly.

“They constantly hit the same spot every time,” she said. “And then recently, they hit me again and totally bent my front tire.”

She even has a video showing what appears to be a blue Tesla hitting her car and then driving off. She says her vehicle has been struck at least eight times over the past decade, and putting out a cone has been her best line of defense.

“This is why we put this here,” she said. “We thought it would at least grab people’s attention, and I haven’t been hit since we put it here.”

Police say their focus is on cones used to save parking spaces, not on those trying to prevent accidents. Still, residents like Kayser believe the real issue is careless driving.

“Because it’s so dangerous. Nobody slows down,” she said.

And her solution is simple: “Consideration. Consideration for others.”