Vandalized parking signs near a Boerum Hill school touched off a brouhaha last week over one of the city’s scarcest and most vital resources — parking spots.
A Pacific Street resident returned home last Thursday to discover his car had been towed because someone had crudely tampered with a “No parking” sign to make it seem that his legal spot was in a zone reserved for teachers at PS 38, also on the block between Third Avenue and Nevins Street.
Anarchy has ensued. Residents have exchanged accusations with the school — and each side alleges its rightful spaces have been lost by defacement of the signs.
The school’s principal denied incendiary rumors that appeared on an Internet message board claiming that a custodian was seen altering a one-headed arrow indicating the no-parking zone so that the arrow had two heads — thereby limiting the entire south side of Pacific Street to vehicles with Department of Education placards.
The man whose car was towed certainly thinks a school official did the deed.
“You have to ask yourself who benefits by making the whole block ‘school-only’ parking,” said David Jacobson.
But the principal claims this not the first case of sabotage, with miscreants concealing the regulations with white paint, leaving her staff uncertain of where they can park.
“The whole block is messed up. The signs are ruined,” said Yolanda Ramirez.
The truth is that PS 38 is entitled to about six spaces on Pacific Street, which will be made clear when the Department of Transportation, the judge, jury and executioner of on-street parking, replaces the tampered signs.
