Firemen, Cops, Judges Still Parking Illegally Downtown
Downtown Brooklyn is still the capital of parking abuse by government employees, despite widespread exposure of the issue. In addition to the Adams Street bike lane, which we’ve been harping about for some time, other problem spots include Gold Street off Myrtle Avenue where a check by The Daily News last week found 29 cars…
Downtown Brooklyn is still the capital of parking abuse by government employees, despite widespread exposure of the issue. In addition to the Adams Street bike lane, which we’ve been harping about for some time, other problem spots include Gold Street off Myrtle Avenue where a check by The Daily News last week found 29 cars of firefighters illegally parked, six of them on the sidewalk and Jay Street, where cops and firefighters were parked at expired meters with impunity. “They park in front of hydrants, crosswalks and bus stops,” said Michael Burke of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, which has been advocating parking reform in the area. “It’s a safety issue,” he said. “It adds to a sense of lawless in the community.”
Downtown Brooklyn Is Place for Parking Abuse [NY Daily News]
Checking In On the Adams Street Bike Lane [Brownstoner]
@Sam
The city and state are facing massive deficits, the mta is threatening severe service cuts and fare increases, and you’re proposing we devote money to reserved parking spaces in new structures in one of the most dense and expensive neighborhoods in the city. All so that one very specific class of commuters will grace the rest of us with the blessing of being able to use our own sidewalks and crosswalks.
Practical is not the term I would use.
This is a deeply entrenched cultural problem, yes. It would take vision and political courage to remedy, yes. But the solution itself is damn simple and doesn’t cost a cent.
The cops, firemen, court officers, district attorneys and others are not just going to give up their parking priviliges any more than they are their health insurance. What benson states is true, the benefits of civil service jobs now outdo many private sector jobs. So whose fault is that? Who are the dummies in that scenario?
I love the folks who write: enforce the laws on everyone!!
Who the hell do you think is doing the enforcing? The cops are not going to ticket their own. hell will freeze over first.
illegally parked car?
meet my key.
key?
meet illegally parked car.
I would love to see some retard getting caught doing that, especially to a cop’s car!
The whole financial world is crashing and I love it. This is the beginning of the exodus of self entitled retards getting killed financially. The Cops don’t double park in Ohio..
The What (Say Buh Bye retards)
Someday this war is gonna end…
if you are serious about this….
video.
photos.
blog.
microphones.
refusals of culprits to make a statement as they are interviewed upon leaving car.
eternal webfame for the culprits.
complaints by culprits.
more cops to stop the harassment of culprits.
the new urban theater.
its like graffitti. if they get nailed everytime and someone loses an election over it it will stop. eteral vigilance everyone.
publish names.
publish photos.
publish statistics.
Not true. The criminal court operates 24 hour a day, 7 days a week. Supreme courts are often open and staffed until about 9 pm on weekdays. Everything doesn’t stop when the public leaves at 5. Besides although the mayor did cut back on the number of permits, the unions issue their own member permit/cards which is not illegal for them to do. Other than writing ticket upon ticket, which will be scratched at the end of the day by their co-workers anyway, it would be extremely difficult to bring disciplinary charges against these civil servants most of whom are not actually engaged in their official duties when they park illegally.
Holding supervisors accountable, Yeah right. Ray Kelly allows staff assigned to Police Plaza to park on the exit ramp of the Brooklyn Bridge. Our Mayor is running for re-election and he will probably win and he is not getting rid of Kelly. Not much will change.
Sam;
You’re way off on this one, friend. I think your proposal is untenable in the current economic situation.
Folks in private industry are being increasinly asked to pay more and more of their helth-care premiums and they have watched the concept of a defined-benefit pension go the way of the do-do bird. Civil-service employees enjoy generous benefits and perks that are way above the norm in private industry, and enjoy union protection against the risk of sudden layoff. Now you are advocating that they enjoy another perk?!?! No way!!
I am not a mass-transit freak. If they want to drive to downtown, all well and good, but act responsibly and put your car in a garage or legal parking spot, like ordinary citizens.
I have to agree with THL’s comments. I come from a family of civil servants, and in general I am a huge supporter of the police force. I don’t know why they have to degrade their relationship with the community by choosing to park whereever they please. I believe that they do alot of damage to their image by insisting on this perk.
horsesh*t.
we arent talking about oddball hours. or weekends. we are talking m-f 9-5 in the business core district of brooklyn.
meter everything.
enforce everything. if they arnet carting prisoner, no exception.
estabilsh a chain of blame. hold the superiors accountable (public shaming will soon be in vogue again).
make sure any politician who doesnt back this fully is gone. donations from unions will stop if they see that they cant buy their way around the rules.
aargh.
This is a problem that is not easily solved. Keying cars is definitely not the way to do it but unfortunately neither is writing public officials. Public Officials seek endorsements and money from these big unions when they are up for re-election. Even if a public official were so inclined to speak out against it, they do so knowing full well that the NYPD who control both the Police and Traffic agents are the enforcers of the parking policy and they will not ticket their own.
I do empathize with the plight of these civil servants though. Many of them work odd hours and on weekends and the threat of retribution has got to be real considering their client pool. Some of them have to be at work during ungodly hours which would mean riding the subway at 3 or 4 in the morning from the suburbs because the majority of them can’t afford to live in the city.
I am sure that there are those who would love to ban cars altogether. Fat Chance. The development of the downtown area especially building a hotel near the court was a diaster from the start and most of the new buildings were built on parking lots. The best thing to do would be to build a parking facility.
Prodigal son, there are a lot of survellaince cameras now everywhere. Keying the cars of public officials (many of which are city-owned anyway) is one of those things that can land you in a world of hurt.
I wish that folks would understand that in a big city like New York there is a need for ALL kinds of transportation. What works for some does not work for others. Asking the civil service to give up their special priviliges is like telling the Wall Street bankers to give up their bonuses. It isn’t easy. therefore, here’s a thought: build more public parking with reserved areas for the police and court officers! Once you do that, then you can take away their “park anywhere” placards.
The Civil Service is a powerful political group in NY. Most people have no idea and think they can somehow be browbeaten into giving up percs and settling for less. Ha! The private sector will be begging for quarters while the civil service will still be parking wherever they please. It is life. My suggestion is a practical one given those real life issues.