Multiple Williamsburg Hatzolah volunteers have been issued tickets by the NYPD’s Traffic Enforcement Agents in the past few weeks – all while parked at emergency scenes. The latest incident happened on Tuesday morning, when a Hatzolah member was dispatched to the Garage to pick up an ambulance for a child in seizures. Upon returning from the transport to the hospital, the member was shocked to find a hefty parking fine on his windshield, issued courtesy of the Traffic Agents. The vehicle was parked the wrong way in front of the garage, which is totally legal according to the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Laws. A NYC DOT parking permit was displayed in the windshield.
One Traffic Agent recently issued a summons to a Hatzolah member while the Agent watched Hatzolah lifting the patient and loading him into an ambulance for transport to the hospital. When he was questioned by the Hatzolah members why he was writing the ticket, he responded on his PA (loudspeaker) “these guys think they can do whatever they want”.
Highly-credible sources tell YWN that the Williamsburg Hatzolah Coordinators recently met with the top-brass of the Traffic Enforcement division after many members were given tickets while parked at emergency scenes.
Despite the assurances given by the chiefs, and the posted parking permits in the windshields of the vehicles, the agents still feel the need to issue tickets.
It is unknown what action Williamsburg Hatzolah will take at this point to ensure that the annoying and expensive ticketing is put to an end.
Hatzolah volunteers respond to tens of thousands of emergencies in NYC each year. Members leave their families and their work to run and save lives. They definitely don’t need to be ticketed by NYC for their devotion to saving lives, not to mention saving NYC many millions of dollars each year by covering such a large amount of emergencies.
(Chaim Shapiro – YWN)
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16 Responses
Let’s say the emes. These chalere are anti-semites targeting Jews for being Jewish.
when its against blacks they are right, when its against jews they are anti semites
how about this idea, that should’ve been done a while ago, give hatzalah special liscence plates that dont get tickets (cops don’t)
If the Hatzalah member was allowed to be parked there then I would call 311 and file an official complaint against the agent. The city takes these complaints seriously. It may take a few weeks but a superior will get back to you.
Yup. New York’s finest
Courtesy
Professionalism
Respect
What a joke. If it wouldn’t be so sad I would laugh my head off.
Join Boro Park, those ticketers are waiting for Friday afternoon once Shabbos begins they walk down 13 Ave, a blitz ticketing, since they know you can’t move your car and can’t feed the meters, its fun giving those Jewish unhelpful motorist tickets.
Anti semitism is only in Europe not in USA ?????
Seichel Brosh why do Jewish people park on 13 Ave, Friday afternoon when it is almost Shabbos? Do they have a reason they can’t park in a proper space.
Brownies they remain because of their behavior, Mr. Dinkins, not because of their uniform color! Changing their uniform color to blue isn’t gonna change agenda!
Funny that my comment wasn’t posted. Is YWN anti freedom of speech?
Moderators Note: Not at all. We are anti posting comments that slander more than 3,000 people who you wouldn’t hesitate to call when your child chokes on a hotdog, and has about 90 seconds to have it removed before he/she suffers permanent brain damage. Hows that?
And the media keeps telling us that ticket giving is down dramatically. I guess that’s only in specific neighborhoods.
antisemitism? is every parked car with vas plates automatically on a call?
Moderators Note: No, but every car parked the wrong way in FRONT OF A HATZOLAH AMBULANCE GARAGE is on a call.
They’re embarrassed cause it takes them half an hour to get to a call an it takes Hatzala 5 minutes.
If there any hatzalah members reading this, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank you so, so, so much.
Each and every one of you sacrifices so much of your time, emotional wellbeing, and a lot more that I don’t know about.
Thank you, you should be gebentcht!
To Moderator: I’ve been reading the news online on sites that we can’t consider Kosher for many years. Literally today I decided to commit to trying to read stuff on a Jewish site only – to better my Neshama. Thanks to your ridiculous position on not allowing thought provoking, truthful, unadulterated comments I’m reconsidering this commitment.
This site should be called “News the Yeshiva World wants you to hear.” Obviously as the moderator of this site you’re more than entitled to do as you’d like and you obviously will, but that just furthers my previously moderated claim about abusing powers. If you want to disagree with me and say that I’m slandering members of Hatzolah, whom yes, are great people and we all owe a tremendous amount to, do so in a comment. It’s unfair to moderate comments simply because you don’t agree with me.
Moderators Response: Sign your real name and contact number publically, and YWN will gladly publish your comment slandering thousands of Hatzolah members. They and their devoted families can then properly respond to your attack.
As a Hatzolah member myself who rarely posts on YWN, I felt it was necessary to post on this article. I want to note that ticketing Hatzolah members on calls is not just wrong, but it is a waste of time- since the tickets get dismissed anyway. The Hatzolah office merely mails the tickets to a city office along with the affidavit required and all these tickets get dismissed. I myself have had to do this a number of times- mostly with red light tickets though.
Regarding those who mentioned giving Hatzolah members special plates like the police- that doesn’t exist. There is no plate that excludes anyone from getting a ticket. Even “Official” plates could be ticketed- but nobody would do it, since it is just ticketing the city.
Third, standard members can ONLY park illegally when on calls and could be ticketed like anyone else if parking illegally otherwise. Every member is issued a permit that allows responding lights and sirens and parking illegally when dispatched to an emergency. Those member who do not have convenient parking, therefore causing them little or slow access to their vehicle for emergencies, are issued DOT Permits (as described in this article) which allow parking in certain places even when NOT on an emergency (No Parking Anytime/Specific Hours, No Standing Except for Trucks Loading and Unloading, and at Meters without paying). Those permits are given on an as needed basis and required approval from a committee that meets a few times a year to review requests. That privilege is not taken lightly and is very serious. Only active member with a need get them approved (although I am sure some have fallen through the cracks).
This particular story described a car outside the garage- that is clearly a targeted ticket. It also described an incident of their ticketing a vehicle while witnessing them treating a patient. From my understanding, they are actively targeting Hatzolah vehicles due to their biases. These are issues we had years ago and had stopped. It is sad to see them starting again.
Calling 311 will do nothing. Talking to the brass and also proving that the tickets get dismissed anyway, is the way to go. I think they are addressing it appropriately.
One last thing to add- from experience I can tell you that Hatzolah will not cover any member who abuses a right. Anyone ticketed for abusing a privilege and not legit will not be covered or defended. Hatzolah only facilitates dismissal of tickets issued improperly.
It is a nuisance and annoyance that after returning from a call I have to then go to the office and sign all the affidavits to have such tickets dismissed. This has to stop.
To chaimy:
Good luck with finding a parking spot in Boro Park, especially on Friday.
ohvey -“my previously moderated claim about abusing powers, etc…whom yes, are great people and we all owe a tremendous amount to, etc…”
This is hypocrisy. Either you trust them or you don’t trust them.