On the subject of tickets, has any reader ever seen a bicyclist get one--such as one of the hundreds of delivery bikers who ignore all traffic signals and even one way street signs?
2
Yes, I have. The bicyclists I know -- and I know many in Brooklyn and Queens -- have no objection to ticketing bad bicycle behavior.
What I have *never* seen is a cop even give as much as a verbal warning, never mind a ticket, to the myriad drivers that block bicycle lanes.
What I have *never* seen is a cop even give as much as a verbal warning, never mind a ticket, to the myriad drivers that block bicycle lanes.
2
Way back in the day, in an another traffic bound city, I was left in the intersection by a person who just had to have a car's length between her vehicle and the car in front. As I waited for her to move, I noticed that there was a CHP car in one of the lanes waiting to cross where I was I stuck.
I was in a stump-pulling 1 ton pickup. The vehicle in front of me was an urban people mover. I eased up to her back, aligned bumpers, put the truck in granny low and pushed the blocker far enough so I could clear the intersection. The people mover driver never took her foot of the brake, nor even looked in her rear view mirror. The smoke from her tires was impressive.
The CHP officer gave me big thumb's up and friendly tap on his siren as he went by...
I was in a stump-pulling 1 ton pickup. The vehicle in front of me was an urban people mover. I eased up to her back, aligned bumpers, put the truck in granny low and pushed the blocker far enough so I could clear the intersection. The people mover driver never took her foot of the brake, nor even looked in her rear view mirror. The smoke from her tires was impressive.
The CHP officer gave me big thumb's up and friendly tap on his siren as he went by...
7
I had a similar situation. As I was about to cross 7th avenue going Eastbound on 34th Street, I hung back because I would have blocked the intersection, as is proper to avoid a ticket. As a space opened up across the intersection, I started forward, only to be cut off by a taxi who took the spot, leaving me blocking the intersection, so I turned right onto 7th avenue to avoid that, only to be pulled over and ticketed, despite my explanation. Damned if you do....
1
The article and comments should not focus on the police officer but on the car blocking the intersection. Drivers should respect the law and only cross a green light when they can make it to the other side of the street and given tickets if they do not, this is a huge issue. How many times a day does car pass a yellow-reddish light and gets stuck in the middle of the box or worse, on the other side crosswalk, putting pedestrians in harm's way if they simply want to cross the street ? It happens almost every minute at every light.
6
Yes, life is dangerous on the streets of NYC for children, elderly, any pedestrian.
Enforcement -- consistent enforcement -- would change that, and it would do so very quickly. I.e., cops doing their job, every day. It's not rocket science.
Enforcement -- consistent enforcement -- would change that, and it would do so very quickly. I.e., cops doing their job, every day. It's not rocket science.
And left unsaid, it was probably a white person who wrote this and a young person of color who got the ticket.
5
Sad that someone's reaction is to accuse the cop of racism without any evidence of such. And including the word "probably" doesn't make it any less racist.
6
There's plenty of evidence. I see it on the streets of Queens and Brooklyn on a weekly basis.
A better question: Would you, Steve, acknowledge racism with the cops if it happened right in front of you?
But in this case, we needn't go there. This cop, like many of our finest, was likely simply attempting to avoid the paper work. I.e., of every ten violations he witnesses, he writes -- maybe -- one. And for the other nine, he's such a nice guy.
A better question: Would you, Steve, acknowledge racism with the cops if it happened right in front of you?
But in this case, we needn't go there. This cop, like many of our finest, was likely simply attempting to avoid the paper work. I.e., of every ten violations he witnesses, he writes -- maybe -- one. And for the other nine, he's such a nice guy.
Large segments of the population in NYC have a very bad taste in their mouth when it comes to arbitrary enforcement of the law by the beat cops. Those who argue to "lighten up" are likely those that have never had to concern themselves much with anything other than a possible traffic ticket.
We just recovered (allegedly) from the it's-not-a-crime-it's-a-courtesy nonsense; now the lighten up crowd wants to move on to laughing off the arbitrary enforcement of our laws.
Here's a distinct possibility that the lighten up crowd sentimentally ignores: the cops in my neighborhood give virtually no moving violation traffic tickets not because they are nice guys but because they don't want to go to the trouble to write it up. Since they *have to* give one maybe bi-annually, it's eenie meenie miney moe...
We just recovered (allegedly) from the it's-not-a-crime-it's-a-courtesy nonsense; now the lighten up crowd wants to move on to laughing off the arbitrary enforcement of our laws.
Here's a distinct possibility that the lighten up crowd sentimentally ignores: the cops in my neighborhood give virtually no moving violation traffic tickets not because they are nice guys but because they don't want to go to the trouble to write it up. Since they *have to* give one maybe bi-annually, it's eenie meenie miney moe...
5
Now that was a creative traffic cop. Hopefully they won't have him handing out tickets for 20 years!
I don't suppose it occurred to this officer that directing traffic might be a more productive use of his time.
14
In NYC the "traffic cops" are not actual police. They can write summons and direct traffic. That's about it. And if you pass them as they are directing that traffic how do they stop you to ticket if their in the street? They can't. You just should hope their wasn't a traffic camera mounted nearby.
If the cop can't enforce the law, then I disagree -- I hope there are traffic cameras mounted nearby.
Not difficult to parse out the reasoning of those who so vehemently object to traffic cameras.
Not difficult to parse out the reasoning of those who so vehemently object to traffic cameras.
I one time got pulled over for going 26 in a 20 school zone. Just as he took my license on a very busy 4 lane street that was now partially blocked by the police car and mine, there occurred a 3 car accident. The police man then gave me my license back saying he should of not pulled me over in such a congested area. I agreed but felt bad for the other 3 drivers.
4
Here's another cop who likes to play with people. Had I been the driver stopped, I might have had an episode of anxiety and panic. I live with PTSD, you see. It's time for the NYPD to wake up and acknowledge that such egocentric acts of mercy are distasteful and even dangerous. Knock it off.
6
Is this what they had in mind when they wrote the famous “Shakedown Hymn,” I wonder? :)
Such a gift to be chatty, such a gift to speak free
Such a gift to gab with virtuosity,
And if we find ourselves with the cop that’s right,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Despite turning, turning we came out all right
Such a gift to be chatty, such a gift to speak free
Such a gift to gab with virtuosity,
And if we find ourselves with the cop that’s right,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Despite turning, turning we came out all right
7
You know,folks, life in this city can get pretty grim but what still does it for me are stories exactly like this where people take lemons and make lemonade by doing something unique, different, brave, foolhardy, whatever. These are New York values, people being good to each other in unexpected ways that maybe no one would think, or dare, to do on Main Street, USA.
9
In August 2004, while stopped behind another driver at a red light at an intersection in Queens, a driver backed out of an angled parking spot into my car. I turned the corner to avoid obstructing traffic and await a NYPD accident investigator, inadvertently blacking a crosswalk. As the investigator was taking my report, another officer wrote a ticket for blocking the crosswalk. The investigator told me to send a copy of his report with the ticket and it would be dismissed. I did as instructed and hearing nothing further, assumed the matter closed.
Almost a year later, I received a "Motion to Vacate Judgment" with a form to explain the circumstances. Assuming my original response lost in the mail, I filled out the form, attached another copy of the accident report and mailed it in. In response, I received a letter from an attorney in Parking Enforcement stating that they were detaching the accident report from the "Motion" and demanding payment.
As a retired attorney, I'm ware that a judgment based on tampering with evidence and perpetrating a fraud on the court is "Void Ab-Initio (void from inception) and refused to pay. When a collection agent called months later, I explained the circumstances and my refusal to pay.
Apparently, the City of New York is neither above tampering with evidence, nor perpetrating fraud in the courts to raise revenue. The City can neither expect to raise revenue, nor generate goodwill, by cheating accident victims!
Almost a year later, I received a "Motion to Vacate Judgment" with a form to explain the circumstances. Assuming my original response lost in the mail, I filled out the form, attached another copy of the accident report and mailed it in. In response, I received a letter from an attorney in Parking Enforcement stating that they were detaching the accident report from the "Motion" and demanding payment.
As a retired attorney, I'm ware that a judgment based on tampering with evidence and perpetrating a fraud on the court is "Void Ab-Initio (void from inception) and refused to pay. When a collection agent called months later, I explained the circumstances and my refusal to pay.
Apparently, the City of New York is neither above tampering with evidence, nor perpetrating fraud in the courts to raise revenue. The City can neither expect to raise revenue, nor generate goodwill, by cheating accident victims!
17
Under de B, this city has become a traffic nightmare--and a highly lucrative collecting machine for the NYC Department of Finance and the State. The officer is to be noted for a fair exercise of discretion. But under de B's watch (or perhaps more aptly, his utter failure to watch) the City gets failing grades for incomprehensible road lanes, needless concrete islands everywhere and speed bumps wherever you turn. Must have cost the taxpayers a fortune. And our roadways and bridges serve as monuments to utter neglect or worse, total indifference. This started at "the top", and third-party contractors and vendors must have made out very well. There's got to be a "story" here, somewhere.
8
The "story" is that de Blasio is only continuing the legacy of his predecessor, Bloomberg, who hated cars (except his). Traffic and parking are the worst I've ever seen in all my years. Bike lanes, bus lanes, pedestrian malls, concrete islands, bike parking, speed bumps, slow zones, no turns where there used to be turns ... it's horrendous. And now, with Uber and similar services, it seems every other car is a taxi, clogging the streets. The city DOT's figures show 1,471,153 vehicles entering Manhattan below 59th Street on an average weekday (http://nyc.smartparticipation.com/public-hearing-manhattan-traffic-conge..., as opposed to 21,112 bicycles in the whole city (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/2014-isci.pdf). Do the math and figure out who's being shortchanged. Mass transit takes three times as long to get me where I'm going, so I just don't go to Manhattan. I know that many people say, good, we don't need you or your car. In turn, Manhattan doesn't need my money.
1
Here's the latest news bulletin, one you apparently missed.
We are all under enormous pressure to change the way transportation works, when it works, in cities. And yes, that means cars will stop being the one and only priority.
That's the real world. The one we are facing now.
We are all under enormous pressure to change the way transportation works, when it works, in cities. And yes, that means cars will stop being the one and only priority.
That's the real world. The one we are facing now.
2
Your luck took a turn for the better.
13
Ugh. Our witless correspondent breaks the law, endangering his fellow citizens, and then crows that he beat the rap. Is it so hard to just obey the law?
3
A great example of an officer applying some common sense to the situation and accepting a very reasonable argument for why a turn was warranted, especially because the no turn rules were originally created to reduce traffic. Whether or not the no turn rules were effective in the first place is a topic to be covered at another time as I don't believe any New Yorker agrees that the rule actually reduced traffic. However, some additional questions I might ask to tease out some other concerns I have with this scenario. 1) What sort of car were you driving? Not likely a cab, as I'm sure there is no explanation that a cab driver could've given that would have convinced the officer to be lenient. 2) Did the second driver actually get a ticket or was he/she offered the same opportunity for relief? Agree with other comments regarding the problem of arbitrary enforcement, but I'm more concerned that this isn't arbitrary in that there must be an element of bias here (subtle or not) dependent on the profile of the drivers or his/her ability to make a convincing argument.
5
Give me a break. The no-left-turn is there to avoid impeding the flow of traffic. So is the rule about not entering an intersection unless you can clear it. Let's all make up rules that we think work and leave the police to catch terrorists.
3
I guess it is always good when you are the beneficiary of an officer's beneficence; not so much when his discretion goes against you. A number of years ago, I also made an illegal left turn off Lex. Part way down the block a police officer stopped me. When I denied seeing a "No Left" sign, he pointed out that there were, actually, three of them. After examining my license, registration, insurance and, obviously, the "Semper Fi" decal on my rear window, he asked. "Were you ever in the service?" I answered, most respectfully (although he was several decades younger), "Yes, sir." "Which branch," he asked knowingly. "Marine Corps, sir!" After another few seconds, he said seriously, "Well Marine, I'm not giving you a ticket. Just don't be making any more illegal lefts in my neighborhood." Saved by my decal!
9
The driver was gifted with an unforgettable lesson. Excellent cop. Made his teaching point, booked a ticket, did not hurt anyone.
8
Nonsense. He hurts the people he decides to arbitrarily ticket.
It never seems to occur to you that he was simply too lazy to write up a moving violation ticket. That's certainly the case in my neighborhood in Jackson Heights. And why the streets are so dangerous for pedestrians.
Forget the nice-guy nonsense; simply too lazy to do his job. And he does that all day long.
It never seems to occur to you that he was simply too lazy to write up a moving violation ticket. That's certainly the case in my neighborhood in Jackson Heights. And why the streets are so dangerous for pedestrians.
Forget the nice-guy nonsense; simply too lazy to do his job. And he does that all day long.
Back in the day when 5th Avenue was still 2 ways I was watching the traffic cop at 57th St. as he stood in the center of the intersection directing traffic....with great skill and a little dance flair. Until some tourist sideswiped him. He was OK, got up, really chewed out the driver, and then unraveled the traffic snarl the incident had caused.
7
I hope the horse wasn't injured in the collision.
The policeman was alone. No horse that day or in the collision.
5
Sounds like the officer hangs out at the intersection because many cars probably make the same illegal turn. That given, you must have charmed the officer because he basically knew another car would be making the illegal left turn. At the officer's discretion, he is the judge, jury and hangman.
9
Once again, we have a cop on the street who idiotically defines his/her role: I.e. to *define* the extent to which they will arbitrarily enforce the law. Depending on what? How they feel that day? Whether they like the alleged offender?
Just do your job officer. Your job description is not to decide when or where to uphold the law; your job is not mete our punishment. Just enforce the law. (Which means, among other things, that you *know* what the law is in that particular situation. In my experience: Not a given with the cop on the beat.)
When did we give the cop on the beat this kind of discretion? Nothing breeds cynicism toward law enforcement more than, particularly for the cop on the beat,arbitrary enforcement.
Cut it out. You're not a judge, you're not a legislator who makes the law, you're a cop on the beat. Do your job -- every day, all day.
Just do your job officer. Your job description is not to decide when or where to uphold the law; your job is not mete our punishment. Just enforce the law. (Which means, among other things, that you *know* what the law is in that particular situation. In my experience: Not a given with the cop on the beat.)
When did we give the cop on the beat this kind of discretion? Nothing breeds cynicism toward law enforcement more than, particularly for the cop on the beat,arbitrary enforcement.
Cut it out. You're not a judge, you're not a legislator who makes the law, you're a cop on the beat. Do your job -- every day, all day.
13
Cops aren't robots. I for one want them to use discretion. If a cop pulls over someone who has a clean record and will likely get the same message from a warning vs. a summons, it's good that he can make that call.
17
Oh, please. Just relax.
18
Only certain folks in the NYC -- Upper West Side? Park Slope? -- have the luxury of that glib assumption. The *let's lighten up* folks have a sentimentality that astonishes me.
I love this!!
2
The title should read: Two Wrongs Make A Right.
10
Two lefts make a right?
11
Three lefts make a right.
4
She blurted, "Aren't you going to give me a ticket?"
He replied, "You were my first grade teacher."
I used to tell this story to audiences of teachers, who gasped at the punch line-- and & ask them to consider: "Which of your students would have given you a ticket & which wouldn't?"