PHOENIX — 'X' usually marks the spot! But, not at the intersection of 48th Street and Thomas Road in Phoenix.
The big Xs there mean don't stop there, but it's leaving some drivers confused.
The ABC15 Operation Safe Roads team talked with police and city leaders about what drivers should do.
Drivers tell ABC15 this 'X' just a few hundred feet from Phoenix Fire Station #13 near Arcadia creates confusion.
Phoenix Police Department suggests paying better attention to posted signs.
"It says specifically, this is a fire exit and says do not block these exits or this portion of the roadway,” said Phoenix Police Sergeant Rob Scherer.
Whether drivers see the signs, or not, our cameras caught many people not following the rules.
We asked drivers if the intersection is confusing for them.
“It is! I should be back there. I know. Probably,” replied a driver.
Another driver, who also rolled onto the 'X', admits he saw the signs, but was unfamiliar with the area and did not know what to do.
We reached out to the Phoenix Streets Department about that 'X' which city leaders say means "do not block" or "do not stop" in the box. The markings, the city says, are to help keep open a path for emergency vehicles to travel from the fire station a little farther south on 47th Place along Cross Cut Canal Park.
That 'X' marking is not the only one in the Valley.
"We do have Xs all over the city, predominately, outside fire stations. Obviously, fire trucks are large and can't maneuver around cars very easily especially when they are first getting started outside a firehouse,” added Sgt. Scherer.
But, this one also blocks drivers from making a right turn. And, while watching drivers roll onto the 'X' when the light was red, we also saw a few drivers make illegal turns.
We watched the intersection of 48th Street and Thomas Road for an hour. In that time, we watched drivers appropriately stop behind the 'X' 16 times. But a dozen stopped on it, and they're fortunate police weren't around.
"The ticket for that is failure to obey a traffic-controlled device. It's upwards of a $150 fine. So, save yourself $150 and park behind the X to let the fire trucks be where they need to be,” added Sgt. Scherer.