From the Times Ledger:Astoria residents, business owners and elected officials said they are fed up with neighborhood traffic agents whom they say over-zealously hand out tickets to drivers and parked cars in one of the borough’s prime restaurant and shopping meccas.
Community leaders and residents said they have witnessed agents slap drivers with violations or been ticketed themselves for reasons they believe are completely unfair, while business owners are concerned excessive fines could scare away customers.
“I was pulling out of a parking space and dropping off my husband at a bank on 31st Street when a traffic cop pulls in right beside me so I can’t pull out,” said Anna Balash, who lives in Astoria. “I had to slam on my brakes. He gave me a ticket even though I was not parked — I was moving and in-gear. They know we can’t take a day off from work to fight it. They’re very aggressive.”
Balash said she received the $115 ticket in July. After she was given the fine, she said she then attempted to pull out a second time, but was again boxed in by an agent. But she was not ticketed a second time.
Simone Petromelis, a Westchester County attorney who grew up in College Point, said she was harassed by a traffic agent during the Greek Orthodox holy week in April.
“It was a horrible experience,” said Petromelis, whose father, Angelo Petromelis, was a former district leader in the community. “The agent was out of control. I pulled into a spot, which turned out to be a legal spot, to let out my elderly mother. The agent ran up and pressed against my car. She wouldn’t let me see her name. It was like a drug bust.”
She said the agent told her she was receiving a ticket, but would not tell her for what reason.
“She laughed at me and said, ‘Too bad, it’s not my holiday,’” said Petromelis.
17 comments:
Notice that this doesn't happen in predominantly black areas........
I was ticketed once when I shut off my car to walk to the muni-meter to put the money in. Steam was still rising from my just parked car and I had a freshly-issued receipt in hand when I confronted the agent.
I still had to go to Jamaica to have it dismissed and the judge thought I was crazy when I burst out crying in frustration.
I guess bogus tickets are no big deal when you are steadily employed, but when they are issued to a temp who must play Russian Roulette without knowing whether the trip to court will cost thousands in lost wages, it is enough to cry about.
Now I do without the car and NYC and State can do without the revenues my car generates.
Overzealous my ass. They should ticket MORE not less. Go after every single double parked vehicle in Astoria.
Except these cars were not double parked. See, these bike morons love to see OTHER people get ticketed for no reason but would raise holy hell should they get busted.
They are trying to squeeze the middle class, particularly home owners out of Astoria so the speculators and absentee landlords come in.
This lets in more development.
Also, as Astoria's population is starting to burst at the seams, they want to clear the streets so its not noticable as much.
Get those bikes out boys and girls.
"Get those bikes out boys and girls."
Man, that will remind me of a trip to China and India..or Taiwan, where I recalled I see a massive fleets of scooters instead of bikes turning a corner toward me. It looked like the bugs from Starship Trooper movie scene are coming towards me!
Now, if that happens let's see what those ticketmaids going to do... in fact, make those fleets of bike run those maids over.
Man, that will remind me of a trip to China and India..or Taiwan,
GREAT, THOSE COUNTRIES ARE CONTROLLING POPULATION AND GETTING CARS AS THEY DITCH BIKES, WE GET GIDDY OVER UNSUSTAINED GROWTH AND THINK IS MAKES SENE TO DITCH CARS AND WANT BIKES.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH THIS PICTURE?
Time to start ticketing bike riders too.
And if they say they have just as much of a right to the road as motorists, then they should be subject to the same license/registration requirements as motorists. Yes, even for 6-year-olds.
6-year olds ride in their backyards, not in traffic.
i tried and failed recently to clear up broken meter summons in Jamaica. four out of five meters around the dept.of finance (dmv) site were broken. a minority area.
they had no computer record of my broken meter.cost ,$32.00 to me. plus i had to park at a lot,cost $7.00. i fed the meter $.75 originally.
BTW,the double parking on 31 street,northbound to the GCP, is forcing motorists to navigate an obstacle course. these Astorians deserve summonses.one wonders how many accidents the violators have caused?
I haven't been driving since last August. Fear of overzealous cops and high insurance did me in.
It amazes me that agents need to be overzealous. All they need do is to go to any school in the morning or afternoon and write tickets to all the double parkers and parkers in the crosswalks. They'll make a fortune for the city.
Correct.
Go after bike riders - force them to wear helmets, have all sorts of safety gear, a license, carry insurance, and have the bikes checked twice a year. Yes, just like cars. And give them tickets if they chain their bikes to poles at bus stops or meters.
Like the smug whining Tower People in Hunters Point who buy a co-op next to a train yard, and everyone falls over to make them happy if they bitch and moan while the rest of us as a matter of course puts up with a 1000 indignities of urban living.
Get real assholes. Get real.
Tired of this bullshit. Really getting tired.
They give tickets to bike riders in Astoria you idiots even if your wearing a helmet, dont run lights, and have lights on your bike but your looking for a scape goat as always folks.
I have yet to see a car running a red light in Queens get a ticket which happens everyday.
Unfortunately, I encounter bikes running the red lights especially when I have the turning arrow on the other side of the street.
I see them at 10am Saturday Mornings writing OT tickets on steinway...Ok its your own fault if you cant check your watch...
The best one is on Queens blvd under the 7 parking is now till 10pm it was 8pm so at 9:45pm ON A SATURDAY NIGHT i saw 8 cops descend and write as many tickets as possible...sneaky but legal
I've seen toddlers ride their big wheels in busy shopping center parking lots in front of moving cars - they should be riding in their backyards, but they don't
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