Driving -- or Rather, Parking -- Us Crazy
I hear a car alarm going off right now. Not so unusual for a busy city street, even if I am seven stories up. What is a little unusual is that it's been beeping -- it's one of those horn alarms, rather than a squeal -- for the past three days.
One of my colleagues timed it yesterday. On average, it goes off for thirty seconds at a time, every two and a half minutes. A sample survey taken by me standing at the window indicates that it is set off by either a person or car getting too close to it, which, considering that this is Tenth Avenue near the Lincoln Tunnel, happens at least every two and a half minutes.
Here's what's weird: the owner of the car comes back every day at 2:30, and drives off. He gets the same spot every day because he's a city employee. The same colleague who timed the alarm yesterday took down the car's license plate this morning, and it's an official city vehicle. You'd think in the time it takes for the guy to approach and enter his car the alarm would go off, and he'd realize something was wrong. Maybe he does and doesn't care.
Another colleague called 311 this morning, who put him through to 911. The dispatcher asked, "it's been going off for three days and you're just calling," which is a fair point. We watched a police cruiser pull up to the car five minutes later. A cop got out, took down a number from the car's windshield, and got back in the car. The alarm went off a half dozen more times while the cruiser idled next to it. Then the cruiser drove off, presumably because the alarm was driving the cops crazy, too.
The alarm is still going. We're hoping for a tow truck soon, or maybe an out-of-control semi.
One of my colleagues timed it yesterday. On average, it goes off for thirty seconds at a time, every two and a half minutes. A sample survey taken by me standing at the window indicates that it is set off by either a person or car getting too close to it, which, considering that this is Tenth Avenue near the Lincoln Tunnel, happens at least every two and a half minutes.
Here's what's weird: the owner of the car comes back every day at 2:30, and drives off. He gets the same spot every day because he's a city employee. The same colleague who timed the alarm yesterday took down the car's license plate this morning, and it's an official city vehicle. You'd think in the time it takes for the guy to approach and enter his car the alarm would go off, and he'd realize something was wrong. Maybe he does and doesn't care.
Another colleague called 311 this morning, who put him through to 911. The dispatcher asked, "it's been going off for three days and you're just calling," which is a fair point. We watched a police cruiser pull up to the car five minutes later. A cop got out, took down a number from the car's windshield, and got back in the car. The alarm went off a half dozen more times while the cruiser idled next to it. Then the cruiser drove off, presumably because the alarm was driving the cops crazy, too.
The alarm is still going. We're hoping for a tow truck soon, or maybe an out-of-control semi.
posted by Excellent Walker at 10:11 AM
2 Comments:
So what happened with the alarm??
This is a great story, well told. Because now I'm desperate to know what happened next. What did?
Has this been a festive distraction from the DMP? Or just an additional load of burger grease?
Post a Comment
<< Home