Greenpoint
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Culture on the Cheap
$cam Avenue: An Update Regarding The Greenpoint Parking Spot of Death
So after yesterday’s nonsense I have some information to relay. Without further ado, here it is:
- Our very own City Councilman has parked in this space and received a ticket. He is going to contact the Department of Transportation and have them change the lines on the street so as to clear up any ambiguity about the legality of this parking space.
- These tickets cost $115.00 a pop. Which brings me to…
- How much does the towing cost? Well this (which was gleaned from the NYPD’s own web site) should give you, gentle readers, some idea:
So let’s do the math:
- $115 for the ticket
- $185 for the towing
- I am going to throw in $20 for overnight storage because it is quite likely it will take a day for the person whose car was towed to pay the ticket, etc.
- So we are looking at a grand total of $320 folks. That’s a nice chunk of change. This is probably enough to seriously ruin someone’s day and, mind you, we are not factoring the cost of transportation to said impound facility, lost wages, etc.
Some can make the argument that the police are merely doing their job. This is a very short-sighted stance to take. The reality is the police cannot be everywhere and enforce every law all the time. They have to prioritize and enforcing this space (as illegal parking) has been made a priority. I want each and every one of you to think about this. I want you to ask yourselves why this is so (because I just spelled it out for you). Ca-CHING!
To be continued, no doubt…
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
New York Shitty Videos Du Jour: Live From Graham Avenue & Driggs Avenue
After receiving a tip about— and later receiving a downright scary personal account from— the lady cyclist who was hit by a car at this intersection earlier this week, today I decided to see for myself exactly how the stop sign in question is obeyed. Or not— as you’ll see.
New York Shitty analysis:
- Props go to the livery cab driver who pulled over to let the ambulance pass.
- Otherwise, simply slowing down and peering around the corner does not a “stop” make.
- Methinks some traffic enforcement is in order.
As luck would have it the Commanding Officer of the 94th Precinct— Deputy Inspector Hurson himself— spied me walking down Woodpoint Road shortly after I shot the above footage. He pulled over and we talked. I told him about what I saw at this intersection, noting the recent accident (of which he was familiar). Hopefully we’ll see some action here moving forward…
UPDATE, 9:34 p.m.: I informed the lady recovering from this accident, who we’ll call “C”, of my findings. Here’s what she had to say.
…thank you for putting my story w. the photo on new york shitty. a friend said she saw that i commented… i told her she was nuts… but then we figured it out!! i spoke to (Good Samaritan — Ed. Note), one of the guys that helped me. he was actually driving behind the guy that hit (me) and said he didn’t stop. he actually sped up!! (Good Samaritan) has photos and took notes!!…
To be continued…?
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Kosciuszko Bridge Free Verse
Filed under: 11222, Advanced Life Forms, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
Yesterday afternoon I received a text message from none other than Queens Crap. It went as follows:
Great graffiti msgs on wall of bqe by crappy park
To wit I, the New York Shittite I am, inquired:
Which crappy park?
Let’s face facts: those of us who our “Parks Advocates” profess to serve in the 11211 and 11222 — the hoi polloi, if you will— while different in many ways can agree on one thing: our parks are overall, um, a bit lackluster. I was not being coy or cheeky when I asked Crappy for a clarification. I was a asking a legitimate question. If this is not damning indictment of the “system” which has been put in place to “benefit” my community I do not know what is. But I digress.
Crappy replied:
Vandervoort.
That’s all I needed to know.
Welcome to Sgt. William Dougherty Playground located at Vandervoort and Meeker Avenue in the armpit whoops, I meant on-ramp of Kosciuszko Bridge. I immediately noticed something amiss (as indicated by the above arrow). It took a little investigating— and a LOT of patience— but I unraveled this mystery. Or at least documented it. Here it goes.
(NOTE: You can view this section in larger format by clicking here.)
I love a happy ending.
Miss Heather
NYS Flickr Pool
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