From the Woodside Herald:This ridiculous scene of events began as Dr. Goldhaber drove up to his office at 43-15 46th Street. Midway up the block an access-a-ride car was discharging two of the Doctors handicapped patients. The Doctor pulled up directly behind the car and discharged his passenger to unlock the office door for the waiting seniors to get out of the hot August heat. As the Doctor was parked behind the access-a-ride car he observed a man who was going to move his car from a parking spot directly in front of the Doctor’s office. The Doctor then drove his car in front of the access-a-ride car to wait for the impending spot. As he opened his door to retrieve his cell phone, which had fallen between the seat and car door, a blue traffic vehicle sped forward in front of the Doctor’s car. Two traffic agents jumped out of the car like a swat team and shouted “you’re getting a ticket for double parking!” The Doctor, who was dressed in his scrubs, looked at them and responded with “Are you joking? I’m not double parked, I’ve just pulled in front of my office to get this parking spot.” Traffic Agent Smith, with the scanner in her hand, said again “You’re getting a ticket for double parking; we saw you pull up behind that car (access-a-ride) and then you pulled in front of it.” Dr. Goldhaber responded that he was not double-parked and would not accept their harassment or intimidation tactics...
The Doctor told the sergeant that his office called for help, not the traffic agents. The sergeant explained that there is now a law, which states that if someone prevents a government employee from performing his or her job they are to be arrested for obstruction. He said the agents told him that the driver prevented them from giving him a ticket. The sergeant said to Dr. Goldhaber that he understands the whole situation, but he had no choice but arrest him under the law. The Doctor went willingly, as he was handcuffed and put into the patrol van and taken to the 108th Precinct for processing. He has been scheduled to appear for these charges on Dec. 7th 2009.
When Dr. Goldhaber was released after being processed, various sources explained which agencies were available to him, if he wished to file a complaint of official misconduct. He has decided to do so because these agents arrested him on false accusations. He was told that he was arrested for obstructing the agent’s ability to write a ticket. Yet Dr. Goldhaber was given a ticket. The ticket was written with all the car information and dated 8/11/09 at 9:39 A.M. He had just discharged his passenger and was in his car at the time. The ticket says “No discharging/receiving passengers and No driver. It is signed by Traffic Agent Smith. Is this a case of perjury and official misconduct by a public servant?
The events that happened to Dr. Goldhaber on Aug. 11, 2009 should really hit home to our citizens, neighbors and residents of Sunnyside and western Queens. Over the past 3-4 years we have all witnessed the increased aggressive enforcement that has taken place in our community. With the advent of these scanners, the traffic department not only has found a way to increase revenue and allow their agents to achieve their quotas quicker and easier, but many times without reasonable cause. We have all seen cars ticketed while a driver was in their car waiting for a parking spot on Queens Blvd. at 9:59 A.M. while waiting at a meter, for a 10:00 A.M. parking.
It is now our responsibility in the Sunnyside Community to stand up and tell our stories to prevent further abuses. How can we have faith in a system that is spinning out of control? Now is the time to stop this abuse of authority and humiliation in our streets. We should not be afraid to pull our cars in front of our homes or offices, or the discharging of passengers with packages.
Our Community’s concerns will be discussed at the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce meeting on September 8, 2009. We would like our Sunnyside Citizens and businesses to participate and share their stories and experiences that they may have had with aggressive or abusive traffic agents.
28 comments:
Interesting how this happened in the backyard of Public Advocate Candidate Eric Gioia and he has said absolutely nothing about it.
This similiar thing just happened to me on Grand Avenue this week. I was doing some work at the Maspeth Senior Center on Grand Avenue and was unloading my car with heavy tools and supplies. I was right near my car and a ticket agent ran up to my car window and scanned my registration sticker. I told the agent I was right here you saw me! She said too bad, you are double parked. I hate these bastards and I am going to court to fight this ticket. The fat ticket asshole will probably be too lazy to show up!
NYC has become a police state/city.
Ray Kelley can suck a chode and burn in hell.
Cops are under so much pressure from Bloomberg to ticket everyone because he doesn't want to tax the rich (excessive ticketing is a tax on the middle class)and claimhe kept taxes down
One day, the JBT are going to push folks too far
It seems that our Commissar Titan of Commerce has totally lost control over the city agencies.
Traffic Enforcement agents report to the Commissar, as does the NYPD.
The Arresting sergeant is under no obligation to believe the ALLEGATIONS of the traffic enforcement liars. He had the discretion to size up the situation and tell the agents to stuff it.
But, the impudent, incompetent Commissar, in a campaign that shows he has no control over the spending of our tax money, is replacing the misused tax money with abusive fines.
Kill the fraudulent ticket. Fire the traffic agents. Demote the sergeant to rookie.
Then, let's dump the miserable incompetent Commissar.
We cannot choose the tax cheat Thompson. Aren't we done with tax cheats with the power to punish the rest of us with taxes?
Bill Di Blasio said that one of the first problems he would tackle as public advocate is the legality of what the DOT and the mayors office have been doing in regard to ticketing. In addition he is the only city council member who has vehemently raised the subject.
Everyone should cast their vote for Di Blasio even if you dont like him, you have to admit he is ten times better then anyone he is running against.
On the other hand, DeBlasio has stated publicly that he no problem with the huge developer land grabs happening at Willets Point and Atlantic Yards. His silence seems to indicate he also supports Claire Shulman's illegal lobbying game which in turn was supported by taxpayer funds.
Bill DeBlasio: Thanks, but no thanks.
Cops are under so much pressure from Bloomberg to ticket everyone
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Sigh, ok let's try to get it straight one more time....Traffic Agents ARE NOT COPS!!!! You wouldn't call paramedics firemen, why do you folks insist on referring to traffic agents as cops?
Same exact story happened to a friend on Roosevelt Ave. Waiting with blinker on to pull into a spot and a ticket agent hit his registration with the ticket machine saying he was double parked. Last time I checked parked meant the vehicle is shut off and in park. Anyone getting these tickets should fight, if possible, on the premise that one, the vehicle was in drive, not parked, and two the ticket agent lied on the ticket by saying it was parked. Furthermore, a cop standing nearby shook his head in disbelief and stated there was nothing he could do? Since when do ticket agents have authority over actual cops?
Time for the public to rise up and take a stance!
I am not taking the traffic agent's side here, but I do want to play devil's advocate for a moment. Can anyone tell me how we are so sure that the doctor is telling the truth and the traffic agent is lying? It sounds like one of those "he said, he said" scenarios. My guess is that the whole truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Watch for bogus tickets. Since traffic agents received the scanner machines, they are prone to scanning windshields of legally parked cars, holding onto the tickets and then throwing them down corner sewers. If you get a notice of unpaid ticket past due over 30 days, don't be surprised. For the ticket agent who throws them down the sewer on bleeker street, be advised that you're being watched.
Anything that cuts back on the heinous amount of double and triple parking in sunnyside is good by me.
if you stop your car in the middle of the street, exit it, and leave it unattended, you have committed an offense and deserve to be ticketed...end of story.
wait shit...crappy - rescind that. misread the article.
apologies. fuckin meter maids.
...If you get a notice of unpaid ticket past due over 30 days, don't be surprised. For the ticket agent who throws them down the sewer on bleeker street, be advised that you're being watched.
What a f*cking piece of shit! Report him already!
This is all Bloomberg's fault, he has quotas for them or they will lose their jobs.
Oh, now you can't speak to a traffic agent because of the threat that that is obstructing official business (i.e., the writing of a traffic ticket)? And, as indicated, Dr. Goldhaber did get the ticket, so he in fact didn't interfere with the agent's actions. Damn bullies those brownies!
Several years ago, police in Rockaway were writing tickets to people for having a blanket on a beach. It was called "littering." Do you know that when you go to the beach at Rockaway, you are supposed to take your blanket into the water and swim with it?
I heard this idiocy from lifeguards at Rockaway and a friend heard a neighbor who was ticketed complaining in Astoria Federal.
Remember, if you are a respectable doctor or a working class person relaxing on a public beach you are the scum of the earth.
But if 4 armed men attack your employee and yourself and you somehow manage to kill them, you will be up on charges.
complain all you want. nypd traffic is making bank . it'll take an act of god for them to let up
This story is crazy - these ticket agents think they are God the way they run down the street to give tickets. This city cares more about hounding its citizens than improving the community - we have the same problem in LIC. This should not only be discussed at the Sunnsyside Chamber meeting, but at the Community Board 2 meeting coming up soon. People should come out and really give the community board and mayor an earful.
A Native L.I.C.er
Anon said:
"I am not taking the traffic agent's side here, but I do want to play devil's advocate for a moment. Can anyone tell me how we are so sure that the doctor is telling the truth and the traffic agent is lying? It sounds like one of those "he said, he said" scenarios. My guess is that the whole truth lies somewhere in the middle."
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What a sad sack of shit. Do you always quiver when someone from the government glares at you?
If anything he was "Standing" not double parked.It's all about quota's.i mean goals.Again,you have to rip a small section of the bar code out so they can't zap you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a sad sack of shit. Do you always quiver when someone from the government glares at you?
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If anything he was "Standing" not double parked.It's all about quota's.i mean goals.Again,you have to rip a small section of the bar code out so they can't zap you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
haha i've done the same thing u want to write me a ticket u f'in WRITE me a ticket
Remember, if you are a respectable doctor or a working class person relaxing on a public beach you are the scum of the earth.
But if 4 armed men attack your employee and yourself and you somehow manage to kill them, you will be up on charges.
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reminds of of that scene in waynes world at the doughnut shop where ed O'neil says something to the effect of 'if you kill a man in war, you're a hero but if you kill a man in the heat of passion, you're a criminal.'
Too funny!
Queenscrapper wants Norman Seigel for Public Advocate.
The guy freely admits that he is not qualified to be mayor and when he was in the debate on Sunday he struck me as someone who is somewhat, well, disturbed.
Correct me if I am wrong.
All NYPD from Officers to traffic agents are liars. Traffic agents are the least educated and the biggest lowlifes...PD comes right behind. Ray Kelly must go!!! NYPD is New York's very own Nazis. I have a case pending against Traffic agent shield #3201 for physical threats and abusive language. The cops will always take the agents side because Blue people always lie for each other.
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