The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

La Police Sont de Retour!

That's right! The NYPD are back, and ready to ticket. Just this morning, the Q got his first summons of the year. For turning right on a red light. On a bicycle.

Friends, rest assured that the City coffers, so depleted during the work slowdown protest of Mayor de Blasio telling the truth about excess force and the experiences of his own son and not apologizing for said truth which happened to coincide, sadly, with a terrible shooting by a madman, those coffers will soon fill to the rim with the rich taste of Benjamins.

As the wizened bard Huey Lewis once mused, "I'm taking what they're givin' cuz I'm workin' for a livin'"

16 comments:

Parkdog said...

Two car high speed accident at Parkside amd Ocean. I am sure no tickets were issued.
On another note, failure to yield is supposed to be a ticketable offense. I wish they would write some at this hot corner, instead of ticketing bicycles. They could write 10 an hour easily.

Anonymous said...

Failure to yield is also especially egregious at Lincoln/Ocean. I've almost been hit many times while crossing over to the park (with the light, in the crosswalk) by drivers who speed up to beat the light and pay zero attention to pedestrians.

bored at work said...

If you are guilty, that red light violation will cost you at least $195. I went to traffic court yesterday and was found guilty of a running a red light ON MY BIKE. The (alleged) infraction took place last April.

If you plead guilty by mail, you may be hit with a surcharge and points, as apparently the DMV system is too stupid to differentiate between a motor vehicle and a bike.

Clarkson FlatBed said...

Damn right, I'm guilty. You think I'm going to sit there at a red light when no one's coming? That's for chumps and cars. With a bicycle comes not just a sense of entitlement, but ACTUAL entitlement.

diak said...

I'm not going to defend bicyclists' recklessness and entitlement—I've had too many near-misses in my car. But seeing as how in the past few days I've watched dollar vans go through red lights—not zip past at the last second of yellow, but right through clear red lights—three times, I can empathize with Mr CF's frustration...

Parkdog said...

What looked like a dollarge van was involved in this mornings accident. Front fender is still there on Parkside.
Just finished walking my dog, a car zooming and accelerating through yellow.

roxv said...

I'm an avid cyclist (as in, commute to soho cyclist) and I've been hit by cyclists while walking. I don't care if some cyclists are reckless and stupid; the $200 tickets for bikes running reds are ABSURDLY high, and it punishes all of us. when I was hit by a delivery bike speeding across union sq, I got a bad purple bruise on my knee. If I was unlucky enough to be hit by a car on ocean ave, I'd be DEAD.

We just live in a disgusting society that over-values car and car privilege. The proof: kill a cyclist with your car and you're likely to just get a slap on the wrist

Alex said...

I know someone who got a ticket walking his bike on the sidewalk on our street. Not riding, but walking beside it and pushing it down the street.

The true sidewalk danger, delivery guys on motorized bicycles, never get tickets.

Clarkson FlatBed said...

I'm skeptical, Alex. I tend to try to minimize the extent of my infraction too!

One time I rode my bike up onto the sidewalk and lazily got off and started to walk. The cop asked for ID and told me I broke the law. At first I started to protest. I looked in his eyes and thought better of it. The fact is, I DID ride on the sidewalk for a little bit. And I COULD have run some little kid down.

But not me. I would NEVER do anything so stupid. And that's why I'm saying there should be two sets of rules. One for me, and one for everyone else.

diak said...

Alex — what was the infraction cited for walking with a bicycle on the sidewalk?

Alex said...

I have no idea what the ticket said, only what my neighbor told me. Was he a crazy liar? Maybe, but I don't think so. The 71st is so insane though that I don't doubt it.

Alex said...

I observed a traffic cop watch a car run a red light yesterday and do nothing. I approached her, and asked her if she had seen the car run the light. She said, "yes." I said, "So call it in!" The car had some distinctive qualities that would have made it easy for another cop to identify. She said, "They'll tell me that they already got away." This was at the corner of Lefferts and Washington.

diak said...

Alex-- as you point out, apparently "Vision Zero" is inspired by the classic TV character Sgt. Schultz. Remember?
"I see nothing. I see NOTH-thing..."

Alex said...

HAHA they should have called it "Zero Vision!"

MoSdEf said...

Bikers do need to be ticketed as much as cars, there is entitlement from bikers and pedestrians alike to think they can just walk or bike anywhere and no regard for anyone else. Drivers are a problem too but that does not absolve everyone else.

The amount of times I see someone just crossing the street and not looking or paying attention to the road or the lights and then get mad when car almost hits them and same goes for bikes. I can't count how many times as a pedestrian walking a bike almost hits me. One day I will kick one down.

I always thought Vision Zero was a sham no need to lower speed limits,that is not the main problem. We have a TRAFFIC problem, over 8 million people in the city, to go 5-10 miles can seemingly take an eternity with traffic and parking situation and don't come with some stupid argument as why do you have a car or don't have one. People have them get over it, they were invented for a reason. There needs to be smarter ways and use of tech and better use of public transport to get better flow of traffic.

Anonymous said...

Of all cities in the country the question over car ownership is the most legitimate here because of our vast array of public transport. Why should all of us risk our safety because too many people insist on driving and so often and every where they go? I know people who never take the train anywhere. That's ridiculous. One reason people drive too much is the street cleaning and alternate side parking forcing it. Our neighbor has to drive to work in Manhattan if he doesn't get a parking spot on the correct side the night before. Not everyone is or has a SAHM who can move the car.