To the editor,
What the Department of Transportation is doing to disabled people who are in need of a disability parking permit is a disgrace.
They are denying people who are permanently disabled that already have had these parking permits for many years. People with disabilities need these parking permits to visit their doctors, food shop, and various other important daily needs. They can not stand and wait for buses or walk up and down subway stairs.
The DOT will send a disabled person forms to renew their application and by the time they receive them it’s not enough time before their permit expires. Even after the DOT receives their forms and medical records, their permit has already expired, and then they deny them without any explanation, and the disabled person will need to go through the appeal process. Even if they do get approved they will be without this important parking permit for several months in order to be put back into the system.
Other times, DOT tells them they never received the application even though they have proof of mailing it via certified mail.
A disabled person already has a hardship because of their sickness and they are already stressed out having to visit their doctors. They don’t need this extra burden placed on them. Steve Miller
Marine Park
Traffic woes
To the editor,
Allan Rosen’s letter regarding traffic problems hit the nail on the head. As I have said before, I believe the city Department of Transportation’s main objective is to create as much congestion as possible to discourage driving. It ain’t working. Polly Trottenberg, Paul Steely White and Ydanis Rodriguez all need to get a life and realize cars are here to stay, and give up on all of their schemes to prevent cars from driving faster than a snail’s pace. A new idiotic proposal is to have a shared street for cars, pedestrians and bicyclists, all bunched together, in the Flatiron area. Are these people insane? The first casualty, bicycle or pedestrian, regardless of who is at fault, Transportation Alternatives will instantly call on the DOT to ban all cars in area. DOT of course will comply, as they always adhere to the Transportation Alternatives wishes and requests, as when they request bike lanes, street closures, lane narrowing, no turns onto certain streets, more Citi Bike docking stations etc. (you get the idea). Pedestrians and bicyclists now have been given this false sense of security, understandably so, by the way the city treats them: They are always in the right and there is none or very little enforcement for their misdeeds, especially the bicyclists. This false sense of security could and will cause injury or worse. I still say, part of this is payback against drivers from when the state refused Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan for the privilege of driving on the pristine streets of Manhattan, and also for the state, thankfully, refusing to toll the free bridges.
Richard Hecht
Bay Ridge
Plea for peace
To the editor,
How interesting that the President now feels so terrible about all those children being killed, when he decided to ban many refugees fleeing their countries due to violence. Have we forgotten that little boy found dead on the beach [was] escaping with his family to start a new life? You can’t have it two ways. Now the military is given free rein to bomb whomever it wants to. How many wars can we be involved in in this century? I doubt history will be too kind to this administration.
Jerry Sattler
Brighton Beach
Profits first
To the editor,
The horrible, violent United Airlines scene that recently went down is a prime example of the problem created by the profits first, at all costs (overbooking) mentality of companies.
There was a wonderfully warm, comforting and supportive manner that most always came through in days past when “mom and pop” businesses were the norm.
In today’s world, the notion of humanness has all disappeared. Instead, profits and greed rule, not only to the detriment of customers, but also to the detriment of workers/employees where top-level management types are the only ones who are truly reaping the benefits of this pathetic, new norm.
Thankfully there are some examples, one at a time, where company management and thus ethos are beginning to turn this around (one can hope).Barry Brothers
Homecrest
Protect teachers
To the editor,
For his history of repeated student abuse, the judge was correct in sentencing a teacher to 30 days in jail. However, we must look at what happened to the acting-out students. Knowing the New York City school system, probably nothing.
We must also examine the numbers of teachers who are verbally and physically abused by their students on a daily basis. Nothing happens to these recalcitrant pupils, since the Department of Education refuses to take on tough disciplinary measures to curb the outrageous behavior in our schools from students.
It’s so much easier for supervisors and the public to blame teachers for not motivating unruly children. We have a mayor who attempted to lift suspensions and along with the chancellor, they both refuse to reopen the 600 schools [equipped] for disruptive children.
When was the last time you heard of a child being jailed for assaulting a teacher?Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
Take it slow
To the editor,
I have lived on Ocean Parkway at the corner of Avenue P for more than 40 years. Cars speed through the intersection and have hit pedestrians who were in the crosswalk and had the green light and were not wearing headphones or looking down at a phone.
At 30 mph the cars cannot make a full stop easily and will “accidently” hit pedestrians. Yes, some people will get home five or 10 minutes later, but lives will be saved by leaving the limit at 25 mph. At the corner of Ocean Parkway at Avenue O Alan Halter was killed by a speeding car. He had done everything right that day. Of course, you cannot completely avoid accidents, but you can work to minimize them.
Susan Berkowitz
Midwood
Keep it humane
To the editor,
I learned just recently that deer in the forests are being given birth control injections that slow down reproduction and reduce their population since they are getting hit by automobiles and go into residential areas because there is not sufficient food and can be a danger to society because their teeth can cause Lyme disease.
I believe, however, this is a more humane approach than the ASPCA offering to spayg and neuter cats and dogs before [they are] placed for adoption. Remembers, cats and dogs have a purpose of their own and [this] can have a harmful effect on these poor defenseless creatures psychologically and physically. While many people will not think they abuse their pets, they have to a large extent for ego gratification.
I remember I had a dog when I lived in Florida more than 50 years ago and despite the fact that he bit my stepfather, I believe then and now to euthanize them rather than castrate them.
Remember, dogs and cats have a purpose of their own.Elliott Abosh
Brighton Beach
Train complaint
To the editor,
Brighton Beach has many seniors who must take the train for many reasons. There is an escalator on Brighton Beach Avenue that often does not work. So they [elderly subway riders] first have to walk up the escalator stairs, and then climb more stairs to catch their train. Then there are many times that entrance to the escalator door is closed. As a long-time resident of Brighton Beach I find it totally unacceptable that we need to put up with this inconvenience.
While the MTA seems concerned about track work they should be concerned about the residents of Brighton Beach as well.Jerry Sattler
Brighton Beach
