Thursday, September 8, 2016

That Ice Cream Truck




 Photos sent in by Edmund. Thanks!

On the northwest corner of 1st Ave and 14 St. New York Ice Cream from 34-37 Long Island City, 11106. I tried to reach the 13th precinct with no luck. Next time I may just call 311, though I would have to probably wait and wait for a resolution. But this will get done.

Is this truck legally idling there, almost at the corner, and ruining the sight of traffic, most human, around it? Should it be there???

Those are the questions.

Of course, I should not be calling. There are people who are a much higher pay grade than myself (one just got a hefty raise), who should be alert to this truck.

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Update: 9/9/16. That top photo reminds me that I can't see any traffic as I approach the corner.

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Update: 12/4/16: Perhaps it is too early to tell, but it appears that the 13th Precinct has listened and the ice cream truck is no more at that location. Again, I am not positive, but it appears to be gone, at least most of the time. If so, kudos to the 13th Precinct. 

49 comments:

Anonymous said...

idling is weird and toxic. My wife simply asks the drivers to turn off and they have to or just do. any delivery truck and always.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

I think he has to idle to keep the refrigeration of his ice cream going.

Edmund Dunn said...

Update.

The time is 4.50 PM, the date is 09/08/16. The truck is there.
STR, I will email you my shots.

BTW, the truck is part of the New York Ice Cream chain. They have quite a sordid history. See both links.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/31/nyregion/a-king-of-ice-cream-a-renegade-upstart-and-a-simmering-turf-war.html?_r=0

http://gothamist.com/2016/05/31/ice_cream_truck_wars.php




Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>The time is 4.50 PM, the date is 09/08/16. The truck is there.<<

I have to wait for the photos until I get better reception.

I believe the truck "parks" there until all the workers who live in this complex have gone home already and the nearby school is closed.

Anonymous said...

I see plenty of police cars in that area. Why haven't they done something about this jerk?

Anonymous said...

That truck has been there for over 7 years now.

You draw your own conclusions, but it seems to me that someone's getting paid off.

Anonymous said...

ask him to move. did you?

Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>ask him to move. did you?<<

Others can speak, but it's not my style to ask. I'll speak to him if I'm at the corner.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>That truck has been there for over 7 years now.<<

Surely not that long!

Anonymous said...

What's up with the 13th Precinct that they can't do their job?

Edmund Dunn said...

"ask him to move. did you?"

Sorry, wrong move. You could get a violent reaction from the driver. This is a NYPD issue. See my earlier provided links; these guys are a nasty bunch. Anyway, the permit, as per my photo, says call 311 for complaints. Yesterday and early this morning, I tried to do a 311 on line "Parking Violation" post. Got a “system down, try again later” text response so I called 311 this morning. This is BS they gave me. As per the operator, it cannot be filed as a 311 “Parking Violation” even though the truck is violating several NYC laws since the driver is present in the truck. He told me to contact the local NYPD prescient. Such crap. Now I know what Barry Shapiro is going through. If their system is up, I will try again to submit an on line complaint so I can get a confirm number. I will still present this at the next 13th precinct meeting. This will be my text at the description box at the on line 311 "Parking Violation” complaint if I can get through and post:

“Illegal parking of a soft ice cream truck. This violation has been going on for several years: it is now a major safety issue due to the resurfacing project of the Peter Cooper/Stuyvesant Town service roads. The truck is parked right next to a heavily used pedestrian crosswalk (L train entrance), a NYC parking violation. It is also in a "No Standing “zone, the truck never moves, it is idling continuously, both of these are also NYC parking violations.

Location: First Ave and 14th Street (Stuyvesant Town Service Road
Company: New York Ice Cream
Commercial License Plate number: 77326-MH
Mobile Food Permit number: AA 00403

Why I am spending lot of time this? It’s a case study of whether we are a city of laws or not. Next step I will escalate to local media and SM as well. I know, the MCI’s are the big issue on the plate right. Unless we change the NYS government Senate to get a super Democratic Party majority and then eventually primary Cuomo with a true progressive to take him out, the way the MCI law is written in NYS and administered by the NYS DHCR, even with the best attorneys, it seems to be an exercise in futility to contest them but we should anyway. So blasting the usual local suspects here does nothing. Contribute to Mike McKee’s Tenants Pac organization.

http://www.tenantspac.org/

Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>Sorry, wrong move. You could get a violent reaction from the driver.<<

He wasn't there early afternoon, so if I'm around I will try later. I will be nice but firm. ;-)

Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>Contribute to Mike McKee’s Tenants Pac organization.<<

What the man said.

Anonymous said...

Clearly, someone at the 13th Pct is getting free licks of the ice cream, so to speak. This City is so utterly and thoroughly corrupt and the politicians are corrupt to the marrow of the bone, that I don't think anything will ever change unless there is a massive purge. Who would conduct and monitor such a purge? We don't have anybody except, maybe Preet Bharara, and I think they are trying to cut his balls off. We really have nobody in office who isn't taking graft. DeBlasio is probably the most corrupt mayor we've had in generations and Cuomo is no better. No wonder they hate each other. Two greedy beasts at the same trough.

STR, Barry and Edmund: If you can knock a dent in this steel wall of corruption, then I take my hat off to you all. I am sick and tired, literally and figuratively, with the cesspool called "New York City."

Stuy Town Reporter said...

We will see! Meanwhile, I have to caution against using language that is too strong. We are PG rated with some New York vibe thrown in.

Anonymous said...

Violent reaction? what the fuck - he's illegally there - on our street - i've done this. tell him .her .or ask him why he's there. no permit.

Anonymous said...

"ask him to move. did you?"

Sorry, wrong move. You could get a violent reaction from the driver. This is a NYPD issue


You can ask people to do all kinds of things that they should already know for themselves they should not be doing--ie idling is against the law--usually you get no response. Chances are, he knows he's not supposed to be there and "asking" is not going to get him to move. Civil requests get you nowhere. The NYPD should enforce, and they aren't.
Weirdly, they have this attitude that ST and PCV are kingdoms unto themselves and security is responsible for policing within, not the NYPD. I've called NYPD about other law violations within this place, got the response: why didn't you call security?
incredible. I didn't call security bc they're security guards who took a 6 week training course and have no authority to enforce the city's laws, that's why. And they should not be tasked with catching rapists and burglars, since they are not trained or skilled enough to do so.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

To update: I did finally have the truck out there when I was walking, on purpose detouring so I would see it. I spoke to the person in the truck, who was a young female, probably Hispanic. She claimed she didn't understand English! I went through my talk whether she understood or not, but she didn't seem too much concerned, though I did notice some concern at least. Anyway, the upshot is that we have to get the 13th precinct involved and/or 311. There is, apparently, no other way. And, yes, the truck was idling. It was past 6pm.

This may take time, but I think there is going to be a victory for tenants, sooner or later. We have to keep at it for a while.

Meanwhile, going back to Stuy Town, I couldn't help noticing the periodic speeding bicycle around the Oval. This lawlessness never stops.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

I will also periodically repeat the speeding bicycle issue. I know how redundant it is, but management, which knows about the speeding bicycles, should keep on knowing until the law is changed or enforced.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

BTW, it is nighttime right now, and the speeding bicycles are still at it!

Anonymous said...

STr, don't stop repeating the speed bike problem, it's real and it's bad. i feel for the elderly. it behooves me that bikes have no plates at this point in nyc. where is the city on this bullshit?

Anonymous said...

Idling is illegal and i've seen new yorkers ask truck drivers to stop and they do.

Anonymous said...

Yes STR, it's (or a version of an ice cream truck) has been there for at least 7 or more years. It was there for a couple of years before I moved out in 2010. It's got to be a Fugazi deal because there's no way people in charge wouldn't notice this. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, for a while there was a Mr. Softee type truck that kept coming into the 14th st loop. I don't know if they put the kibosh on that or not, or if it's the same operator that now camps out on the corner.

You can't blame them, it's a busy corner, and they don't give a shit if someone gets run over because they're blocking the way.

Anonymous said...

I spoke to a "PS" officer the other day about the speeding bicycles on the property and he just laughed in my face and sped away on his bicycle. MisManagement doesn't give a shit and they will just pay the cost if someone is killed or maimed. If it is an elderly person who is killed or maimed (which it probably will be), the value of life is much lower than if the victim was a younger person. To not put a fine point on it, Management doesn't care in the slightest about these bicycle speeders and what pain and suffering, even death, they inflict ESPECIALLY if the victim is elderly. The lives of the elderly and disabled are cheap and disposable. The only thing that matters to these people is money. Just money. Nothing else is worth a spit to them.

Anonymous said...

Define Victory cause i don't think so.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>there was a Mr. Softee type truck<<

I remember the Mr. Softee type truck.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>I spoke to a "PS" officer the other day about the speeding bicycles on the property and he just laughed in my face and sped away on his bicycle.<<

And I've come across some unresponsive PS officers, too. And then others who seem to give a damn. The other day I saw a PS officer giving out a ticket to some car "parked" at the 1st Street loop. A ticket!

Stuy Town Reporter said...

I don't think management wants a dead or maimed elderly person on their hands. But it may come to that if management doesn't get serious about these speeding bicycles.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>Define Victory cause i don't think so.<<

That ice cream truck not being there--and others like it. I think it will happen, but it may take time.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

Speeding skateboards are a nuisance and getting more so. I don't care if it's "just" kids, though adults are on them, too. This is another problem.

Anonymous said...

Skateboards are definitely a dangerous nuisance and I think that adults who use them look just plain stupid! Same with the scooters. They used to be a toy for little kids who were not old enough to ride bikes! Adults look ridiculous on them.

Anonymous said...

Are we allowed to protect our bodies against injury?

If so, why not use tools such as spray bottles of water against approaching cyclists, scooter and skateboard riders? Can we not deflect their vehicles as they come at us to potentially injure or kill us?

In addition, I've read here that New York City laws forbid riding on sidewalks for just this reason. Therefore . . .

Stuy Town Reporter said...

No, you are not allowed to protect yourself. That is aggressive behavior! Pity the poor bicycle and skateboard riders. (Please note the sarcasm.)

Stuy Town Reporter said...

Though sarcastic, I bet that in reality YOU would be the one in trouble.

Edmund Dunn said...

My 311 on line traffic violation post went through today. I'll post the confirm number if I get one. As per the call in 311 operator, driver is in the truck, therefore not a parking violation, such BS.


Tenants PAC has a FB page. Here it is:

https://www.facebook.com/tenantspac/?fref=ts

If you are on FB (and, sorry, you have to be on these days), like the page.

Anonymous said...

It's a NO STANDING ANYTIME zone.

No standing regulations apply. This means that you may NOT wait or stop to load/unload packages or merchandise at curbside. You may stop to expeditiously drop off or pick up passengers. NO STANDING ANYTIME TAXI STAND <-----> LIMITED PARKING.

Anonymous said...

No laws are enforced in this City (or on this property) because palms are greased to make sure of that.

Anonymous said...

I miss Larry the ice cream guy. 20th Street Loop, northwest end, circa 1990. He didn't need a truck.

Anonymous said...

2:22 PM: no laws are enforced in this city because of Deblasio and his Shitty Council. Why do you think that Bratton is jumping ship? They don't want a police commissioner, they want a den mother.

Anonymous said...

Larry! he was the greatest! I remember toddling down there. seriously! those turtle pops!
he didn't have atruck, he had a little handcart! he wheeled it around himself. that was so great. you never knew when exactly he'd be there, he didn't hang around making a nuisance of himself, which made it even greater when he was there

Anonymous said...

When I came up from the L Train at about 10 tonight, I saw that the ice cream truck was still there. There was a cop standing on the corner, busy reading his phone, so I went over to him and asked if that icre cream truck was parked illegally. I shrugged and said "I don't know; he might be." I told him that the truck was in a no standing place, the engine was idling and he was causing a blind spot for pedestrians. The cop said he'd go over and talk to him "in a minute" (as in when I've finished doing what I'm doing on my phone). I waited and watched and he did go and talk to the truck driver and the truck moved a few feet further north, away from the pedestrian crossing. If he's not supposed to be there at all, that cop sure wasn't going to do anything. He probably didn't know what to do. It seems we really have no protection. The cops don't do their jobs when it comes to quality of life and neither does PS. Maybe they are just not paid enough to bother with such things in a city that panders to the rich and pisses on the poor. I miss Giuliani. I really do. He cared about the QOL issues. This idiot DiB is too "progressive" and arrogant to care about such things and Bloomturd was into social engineering more than anything else. He was more concerned about people smoking, drinking soda and eating trans fats, which, though admirable in some ways, really isn't the business of the Mayor. I'd like a mayor who would enforce the law, including on low-level crimes, rip out the bike lanes and give the cops, firemen and emts a raise. I wouldn't even care if my taxes went up to pay for that.

Anonymous said...

11:05 PM from last night here: That should have read "He shrugged ...."

Stuy Town Reporter said...

Another 311 complaint. Lodged today. We will see.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

This is the ice cream truck, btw.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

**This is an auto-generated system message. Please do not reply to this message.**

Service Request #: C1-1-1306272125
Date Submitted: 09/17/16 4:29:28 PM
Request Type: Illegal Parking
Details: Blocked Sidewalk

Your Service Request was closed.

The Police Department responded to the complaint and determined that police action was not necessary.

Visit 311 Online
Learn About 311 and Our Privacy Policy

Anonymous said...

Clearly, the cops are getting something from this guy - and I'm not talking free ice cream. he probably pays a fee to be left alone. They don't care about the safety of the public. Why should they? Concerning themselves with the safety of the public is not their job. Might distract them from their texting and emailing.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

I'm not through, however. I just need clarification.

Anonymous said...

Great post. I'm dealing with many of these issues as well..

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