A New York Shitty Public Service Announcement

If you happen to own a motor vehicle and find yourself needing to park it in Greenpoint listen up, you will undoubtedly find what I am about to relay of the utmost interest.

See the highlighted area above? The one which seems to be demarcated as a legally permissible parking space if one consults the lines drawn on the street? Well, it is most decidedly not legal and has become quite the revenue mill for our traffic enforcement officials. I have seen (and in one case, photographed) “meter maids” loitering nearby— in one case, for nearly twenty minutes— waiting for someone to park in this space so he or she can issue the motorist a ticket.

Before I proceed I would like to make it known why this space is illegal. Some time ago there was work conducted on the street proper. It was by Con Ed, I believe. This required moving the bus stop for the B43 and B62 approximately fifteen feet to the north (or, referencing the above photo, to the right). Given buses need a wide berth of passage this change is quite understandable and indeed necessary. The question still arises as to why the lines on the street were not changed, but we’ll table that matter.

I know what you’re thinking:

Okay, so the bus stop was moved? What’s the big deal here?

Well this is where it gets interesting, gentle readers. You see this bus stop has since been moved yet again. This time to the south. It is presently located roughly in front of our local C-Town: 953 Manhattan Avenue. I have generated a map so as to illustrate what I am talking about.

Here you can see where the original bus stop was located, versus where it is actually located. It has been moved to the next block. So of course now the question arises as to why this parking space is still illegal. I will leave this for the “authorities” to answer.

What I can tell you— because I have seen it with my own eyes and filmed it— is “traffic” has stepped up their game regarding the enforcement of this illegal parking space. They are no longer simply issuing tickets. They have started towing the vehicles outright. And, as of this morning, they are breaking into said misplaced vehicles if need be in order to tow them. Don’t take my word for it, watch for yourself. Seeing is truly believing.

Many questions crossed my mind as I watched this transpire. Foremost among them was “Is this really necessary?” No, I do not think it is. Lord only knows north Brooklyn and Greenpoint in particular have a litany of traffic-related problems which are much more urgent in nature than this. If you happen to agree, by all means please share this with any/all elected officials, “authorities”, etc., as you see fit.

Given the NYPD, and specifically the 94th Precinct, have had a spate of bad publicity lately (I am being very kind here), one would presume, hope, they would be endeavoring to foster better “community relations”. However, stuff like this (enforcing an illegal parking space whose reason for being illegal in the first place is no longer extant) does the exact opposite. Want to (further) erode the respect and trust of the community one serves? This here example is a sterling way to do it.

Seriously folks, we deserve better than this.

UPDATE, 1:05 pm: We have a complaint number! DOT-330779-H1X6