MASSIVE Quantities of Oak in NJ

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

richg

Minister of Fire
Nov 20, 2005
888
Gang,

This is an FYI, there is a staggering amount of freshly cut oak laying on the side of the Garden State Parkway, with the heaviest concentration at about mile marker 85 on the southboud side. I don't know if it is legal to scrounge this stuff, and it did not look like the easiest place to load a trailer and then take off into 70mph traffic. Just thought I'd pass this along in case someone felt like checking it out.
 
Thanks for the info, but I'll pass on free wood vs. a possible ticket from NJ State police.
 
adrpga498 said:
Thanks for the info, but I'll pass on free wood vs. a possible ticket from NJ State police.

Just take your license plate off, leave your wallet at home, and when they start questioning you pretend you don't speak the language. Cops don't seem to bother those guys.
 
I did see quite a few pickup trucks smack dab in the middle of the piles, and they were definately private vehicles, not contractors. I hope the state would do something smart, for once, and let people take the wood for home heating. If not, they are paying a contractor to remove and dispose of it, probably on a no-bid sweeheart contract taht amounts to major bucks while New Jersey runs an $8 billion budget deficit.

My suggestion is to call the NJ HIghway Authority and/or the State Police before charging down there to scrounge. NJ is going all out with tickets, fines, surcharges, taxes, assessments, penalties, fees, levies etc so if scrounging this wood was illegal, a citation could ensue. I wonder how those people I saw were getting away it it. Maybe taking it is legal? I don't know, be careful on this one guys.
 
btuser said:
adrpga498 said:
Thanks for the info, but I'll pass on free wood vs. a possible ticket from NJ State police.

Just take your license plate off, leave your wallet at home, and when they start questioning you pretend you don't speak the language. Cops don't seem to bother those guys.

NOt to worry about the wallet, who has any money living in Nj. lol, not me. Hence I'm a scrounger.
 
I would imagine it being really difficult to load it, especially since trailers are not allowed on the GSP. Any by the way, cops do bother people who don't speak the language. Last time i checked immigrants get messed with pretty often. Speaking from experience. But that's a different forum.
 
KatWill said:
I would imagine it being really difficult to load it, especially since trailers are not allowed on the GSP. Any by the way, cops do bother people who don't speak the language. Last time i checked immigrants get messed with pretty often. Speaking from experience. But that's a different forum.

I'm going to respectfully disagree with you on the trailer thing; trailers are a common sight on the GSP, especially boats. There is a ban on trucks on the northboud side north of the AC expressway. I personally have dragged a boat trailer and a cargo trailer up and down the GSP a gazillion times with no issues.
 
Thanks for the tip bro!!!!

Well, to educate the bennies in the area, YES trailers ARE allowed on the Garden Sate Parkway.
They even charge me extra at the toll booths, Pay by the axle as I recall.
And slower traffic should stay right - this means doing 55mph in the left lane like it is Sunday morning
while people are struggling to get around you, this can get you a ticket( they even put signs up). :)

Wood on the parkway-

I have spoken to the NJSP, yes I talked to the right guy for this topic
He says no do not stop and get wood "OFFICIALLY" BUT
says hypothetically if a guy was doing something like that he probably would not get messed with.

If you notice they 'do' cut the wood up into very nice easily movable size chunks.

Another BUT
My wife passed a guy loading wood on the GSP the other day with a trooper behind his truck with the overheads on.
Don't know if he got ticketed or the trooper was just making sure he did not get whacked by a car, yes not all cops are
a$$es.

Bottom line is you are taking your chances with the trooper who finds you, is he having a good day
or bad day type deal.

I personally have taken quite a few loads off the parkway and will do so again real soon after seeing this post.

Just remember attitude is everything !!!!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.