"Private Way" signs can be confusing in Massachusetts. They come off so exclusionary, don't they?

The signs aren't as direct as "no parking", but they feel as if you're breaking some law if you travel on a "Private Way".

'Private Way' Signs Confuse Massachusetts?

Yes.

SO, WHAT IS A PRIVATE WAY AND IS IT ILLEGAL TO DRIVE DOWN IT IF YOU DON'T LIVE THERE?

Now, it is no mystery that the residents of Blythewood Dr. in Pittsfield most likely have a little bit of money. A lot of those houses are literally on the shores of Onota Lake.

I must be honest, when I was driving down the private way, I felt like I was breaking the law, or at the very least, was not welcome there. Some walkers on the road at that time were waving (to say hello) at me, however.

Was it that my vehicle was brand new and they thought I lived there? These are the things that pop into my paranoid head. 😂

In actuality, a "private way", doesn't necessarily represent exclusivity to the residents who live there, and it is certainly not illegal to drive on it.

A surprising fact about private roads in Massachusetts

Police, in fact, can hardly enforce any driving regulations on private roads, because they are not owned by the state or by municipalities. (There are rare exceptions, such as drunken driving arrests.) -boston.com

Residents can enforce their own parking rules, though.

People think of 'private' in the sense of something being exclusive. But it's really private in that it has not been accepted as a public way, with public standards. It does not mean exclusivity. Being a way, it's open for the public to pass. -boston.com

So the next time I travel down a private way, I won't feel so guilty!