Police Ticket OKC Restaurant Patrons For Illegal Turn

Deanne Stein, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- There's an illegal turn many drivers don't realize they are making, until here lately. It's a turn into a Jimmy's Egg parking lot off of NW. Expressway near North Classen Boulevard, which is technically illegal.

The management at Jimmy's Egg says there has been a police officer camped out on their parking lot off and on for the past couple of months, ticketing some of their patrons when they enter the parking lot. Scott Manno was one of them.

"I pulled in here, following a couple of other vehicles and I guess I made an illegal turn onto a one-way street," said Manno, who is currently stationed at Tinker Air Force Base. "I got stopped by a cop that was already in the parking lot with several other people."

And along with Manno, they all got a nearly $200 ticket each for that wrong turn, which Manno says isn't marked.

"There are absolutely no signs," he said. "There's a one-way but that's probably 30 yards down the road, you can't see that from coming down here."

Without the sign near the turn, it could be confusing for drivers. In fact, the problem is drivers are turning right off of N.W. Expressway and crossing at an angle over North Classen Circle, which is a one-way street. In doing so, drivers are technically turning down the one-way street briefly for several feet.

"It is six to eight feet, not even a car's length," said Mary George, a manager at the Jimmy's Egg. "Doesn't make it right."

But, at the same time, George said her customers and even police officers have made that same turn into the parking lot for years. Over the last couple of months, though, the enforcement has been intense.

"It's upsetting our customers," said George. "Some of our regulars haven't been back."

"I don't want to complain about the officer, but I feel like this is why they get a bad reputation sometimes, sitting in a parking lot, stopping people going to breakfast on a Sunday morning," Manno said.

The management at Jimmy's Egg says it hopes the city will put up a sign to warn drivers about the turn, but for now, just be aware of it because if you do make the turn, you could face a ticket if caught. However, they say the officer did not show up this Sunday.