Back in December we were ticketed for putting our garbage cans out thirty minutes too early. We never even knew this law existed. My response was, "What are you gonna do? You can't fight City Hall." Ray ended up paying the $100.00 fine but he also called and complained to everyone he could think of including Senator Tony Avella, and he also complained to different news outlets. At that time his story was picked up by Arnold Diaz at Fox News:
And then there was renewed interest this week and his story again was picked up by Monica Morales on WPIX Channel 11 news:
And his story made the Queens Courier.
So I guess Ray has had his fifteen minutes of fame and then some!
(Part of the reason we were ticketed according to the New York City Department of Sanitation is that our garbage cans were blocking the sidewalk. Now, this photo below is the exact spot that we always leave our trash at, near the curb. I ask you does this look like our garbage cans are blocking the sidewalk?)
Plenty of room to walk by, right?
Now look how the sanitation workers leave our cans AFTER they have dumped the trash into their truck:
You can see the garbage truck still on the block.
(Part of the reason we were ticketed according to the New York City Department of Sanitation is that our garbage cans were blocking the sidewalk. Now, this photo below is the exact spot that we always leave our trash at, near the curb. I ask you does this look like our garbage cans are blocking the sidewalk?)
Now look how the sanitation workers leave our cans AFTER they have dumped the trash into their truck:
And this is the norm for them!
See, here it is on another day (they had just picked up the regular garbage and left the can blocking the sidewalk):
And later in the day, after they picked up the recycle, they left the lids...
...blocking the sidewalk!
Now, I ask you ~ who deserves the fine????
Oh this is such a bizarre story! I think Ray was right in saying he thinks they are trying to make money. But I'm glad he sent that original email to get this all in motion. Crazy!
ReplyDeleteCan I also say I love the large writing and especially the large pictures. Great blog Eileen!
Oh how ridiculous! Good for Ray on opening his mouth. Of coarse it's all about the money.
ReplyDeleteWe sometimes put ours out a day or TWO before pick-up so we don't forget. I'd be in deep Poo-Poo if we were to get fined. I hope by Ray's speaking up, maybe change will come but I doubt it. Still I'm proud of him for saying something!
Love Di ♥
So glad I found you. Just a quick question? Changing your ID #, do you mean a new Google address so you can keep posting pics? I have not had this problem as of yet but I noticed more and more bloggers are.
ReplyDeleteWay to go Ray!!! Hooray for Ray! (I think I could write a song, whaddyathink?)
ReplyDeleteI've been soooo under the weather, Eileen. I thought I was gonna end up in the hospital, but I think I've pulled through this one.
I stopped here to read your blog and am so glad that I did.
How angry it makes me to see how the garbage people leave the trash cans after they've emptied them. Come on!!! Don't people take pride in their jobs any more?!! It doesn't matter what the job is, it should be done correctly and with pride. I can't imagine just throwing the tops to the cans on the sidewalk like that. Grrrr. I'm seething as I look at those photos.
Again... Good for Ray!!!!
Hugs and love,
Jackie
Well, I'm glad you found a spot to store your pictures! And what an interesting post! You GO, Ray!
ReplyDeleteHey, I discovered that if when download (or is it upload) my pictures from Picasa to my files, if I select 799 pixels (anything less than 800), they don't count toward your "maximum". I paid once, got a NEW notice a few months ago, went and read this, made the adjustment, and so far am fine.
ReplyDeleteWay to go Ray, I hope you forwarded these photo's on to the department in charge of fining you in the first place. Things like this make me so angry, these little "cash cows" are found in every village, town and city. It is getting absolutely crazy trying to deal with them. Ray did the right thing and I believe we can fight city hall....
ReplyDeleteHave looked at previous post and love, love, love your family circus pictures, the grand-babies are beautiful.....:-)Hugs
Having been in law enforcement for over 40 years, I know that those individuals with the authorization to issue citations are allowed to use "discretion" in their duties. Obviously, this person failed to use that or any common sense. Thirty-three minutes is a no-brainer, especially if they never gave you a warning. Most agencies will simply put a note on the door of first-time offenders for such a simple violation.
ReplyDeleteHowever, in defense of the person that issued this, he or she must be getting a lot of pressure from above to increase the amount of $$$ in the city coffers. One worker can easily write 10-20 of these a day. He may be doing just what he needs to do in order to keep his job.
From the photos, it appears that this could be contested. The containers are on a concrete pad in the parkway...not the sidewalk. Of course, it might be more trouble than it is worth.
Dennis (Grandma Honey's DH)