Thursday, November 24, 2005
Mayor Rudy Giuliani and me on WABC radio
Friday August 8 1997 after 20 minutes of dialing WABC I finally get through to the station,keep in mind not all callers get to speak to Rudy first you must state your case or complaint to the screener and it must be worthy for thousands of New Yorkers tried each week to "Ask the Mayor"a question. I explained to the screener my problem, why haven't I been contacted by any investigators regarding Bronx cops rigging a traffic light? I went through the necessary channels I was on record, yet no follow-up and that same morning cops were still at the Zoo writing moving violations. I was told to please hold, it was 10:30 am only 1/2 hour left on the show and many others callers on hold. As I listen to the show while on the phone I grew butterfly's (no eagles) in my stomach,I was nervous yet determined to get the Mayor's attention regarding the legality of the "redlight trap,then I hear,"now lets go to Jimmy from the Bronx",
hello Jimmy says Rudy,I reply hello Mr.Mayor I have a problem, a question for you "is it legal for a cop to rig a traffic light to go red then hide the patrol car behind large trees and dense bush's and wait for an unsuspecting motorist to miss this traffic light then chase after them and issue that driver a redlight summons?"
Rudy: Tell me how they do that,Jimmy,what are they,do they like,uh,tamper with the timing of it ,or?
Me: What they do is roll their car over a road sensor embedded in the ground
Rudy: Mhmm
Me: It's to allow traffic to exit the Bx.Zoo. And while the zoo's closed,between 6:am and 8:am in the morning,these officers go in there,roll over the sensor,back up,and wait for unsuspecting motorists.
Rudy: So,when the,when the,when the motorist goes through the light...
Me: Yes
Rudy: Is the light red?
Me: Yes it is. Yeah...
Rudy: But it becomes red as the motorist is in the intersection,or approach..So the motorist can't stop.
Me: It becomes red after the officers activate the light.
Rudy: No,but I'm trying to get a sense I'm trying get is,does the,does the motorist have enough warning to stop the car,or not?
Me: Uh,no,on occasions they don't,because this light you can not anticipate the change,because it's not run by the city-wide light system,it's manually operated.
Rudy: Huh! Does it turn yellow before it turns red?
Me: Uh,yes. It goes from a flashing yellow,to solid yellow,to red within 2 seconds. And with no warning!
Rudy: So,I mean this,I gotta tell you Jimmy, this sounds really strange to me. These cops like sit around and get this light red so they can give out tickets?
Me: That's right! Now listen to this,I've documented uh, on over 20 mornings the activity of these guys between 6:am and 8:am, and I've took plate numbers and times, and I've taken photographs and videotapes, and I'm trying to make (cut off)
Rudy: You've taken photographs and videotapes.
Me: Yes.
Rudy: Or they have? You have.
Me: I have. Yes I've made a case with the Public Advocate's office, Internal Affairs, the CCRB, the Bronx Borough Commander.
Rudy: You made a case in all those places and they didn't--did nothing about it?
Me: Yes,I'm still waiting for some word! Uh, it's incredible!
Rudy: Your videotapes and photographs...
Me: Have been submitted to the Public Advocate's Office,
Rudy: To the Public Advocate Office...
Me: And on to a lawyer,yes.
Rudy: And to the Police Department too?
Me: No,no, but the police department has photographs (cut off)..giving the same tickets,not to mention there might be hundreds prior to me. This light has to be looked into.
Rudy: Well,uh,Jimmy,could, would you stay on the phone with me?
Me: Yes I would.
Rudy: So that we could take your name,your phone number, and have somebody call you back?
Me: Very good.
Rudy: And we can follow up on this?
Me: Sounds good.
Rudy: Because I'm gonna have to look into this. It's, it's a very odd situation,so it's a hard one for me to comment on without knowing,you know,you know,exactly uh, what you're saying or what's been done about it already, okay?
Me: Yes, it is, but see, I'm not just speaking for myself, I'm speaking for an additional 50 people that I've personally seen get stopped (inaudible) these tickets.
Rudy: Okay. I... I... y'know... I, this, its a strange allegation you're making. It, it uh, it raises a lot of questions. I mean, it's something that would have to be looked at very carefully. It's hard, it's hard to fathom three police officers like standing around making a light go red so they could give out summonses. But,uh, but let's see. I mean, I've learned a long time ago in the work that I used to do, and I guess to some extent the work that I do now, that nothing is beyond possibility So I go into this with that spirit, okay? And we will take a look at it, and see if, y'know what this is all about. But you stay on Jimmy, and uh, we'll take, we'll take your name and number, and right afterwards we'll have somebody call you back, and we'll see. And then we'll report back on this one. And now we're gonna go to the Bronx, and we're gonna talk to Nina.
That call made my day. I had now reached the Mayor of NYC. If Rudy couldn't help us nobody would... Later as the talk radio show ended you can hear Rudy say," it's going to be one of those days around here."
hello Jimmy says Rudy,I reply hello Mr.Mayor I have a problem, a question for you "is it legal for a cop to rig a traffic light to go red then hide the patrol car behind large trees and dense bush's and wait for an unsuspecting motorist to miss this traffic light then chase after them and issue that driver a redlight summons?"
Rudy: Tell me how they do that,Jimmy,what are they,do they like,uh,tamper with the timing of it ,or?
Me: What they do is roll their car over a road sensor embedded in the ground
Rudy: Mhmm
Me: It's to allow traffic to exit the Bx.Zoo. And while the zoo's closed,between 6:am and 8:am in the morning,these officers go in there,roll over the sensor,back up,and wait for unsuspecting motorists.
Rudy: So,when the,when the,when the motorist goes through the light...
Me: Yes
Rudy: Is the light red?
Me: Yes it is. Yeah...
Rudy: But it becomes red as the motorist is in the intersection,or approach..So the motorist can't stop.
Me: It becomes red after the officers activate the light.
Rudy: No,but I'm trying to get a sense I'm trying get is,does the,does the motorist have enough warning to stop the car,or not?
Me: Uh,no,on occasions they don't,because this light you can not anticipate the change,because it's not run by the city-wide light system,it's manually operated.
Rudy: Huh! Does it turn yellow before it turns red?
Me: Uh,yes. It goes from a flashing yellow,to solid yellow,to red within 2 seconds. And with no warning!
Rudy: So,I mean this,I gotta tell you Jimmy, this sounds really strange to me. These cops like sit around and get this light red so they can give out tickets?
Me: That's right! Now listen to this,I've documented uh, on over 20 mornings the activity of these guys between 6:am and 8:am, and I've took plate numbers and times, and I've taken photographs and videotapes, and I'm trying to make (cut off)
Rudy: You've taken photographs and videotapes.
Me: Yes.
Rudy: Or they have? You have.
Me: I have. Yes I've made a case with the Public Advocate's office, Internal Affairs, the CCRB, the Bronx Borough Commander.
Rudy: You made a case in all those places and they didn't--did nothing about it?
Me: Yes,I'm still waiting for some word! Uh, it's incredible!
Rudy: Your videotapes and photographs...
Me: Have been submitted to the Public Advocate's Office,
Rudy: To the Public Advocate Office...
Me: And on to a lawyer,yes.
Rudy: And to the Police Department too?
Me: No,no, but the police department has photographs (cut off)..giving the same tickets,not to mention there might be hundreds prior to me. This light has to be looked into.
Rudy: Well,uh,Jimmy,could, would you stay on the phone with me?
Me: Yes I would.
Rudy: So that we could take your name,your phone number, and have somebody call you back?
Me: Very good.
Rudy: And we can follow up on this?
Me: Sounds good.
Rudy: Because I'm gonna have to look into this. It's, it's a very odd situation,so it's a hard one for me to comment on without knowing,you know,you know,exactly uh, what you're saying or what's been done about it already, okay?
Me: Yes, it is, but see, I'm not just speaking for myself, I'm speaking for an additional 50 people that I've personally seen get stopped (inaudible) these tickets.
Rudy: Okay. I... I... y'know... I, this, its a strange allegation you're making. It, it uh, it raises a lot of questions. I mean, it's something that would have to be looked at very carefully. It's hard, it's hard to fathom three police officers like standing around making a light go red so they could give out summonses. But,uh, but let's see. I mean, I've learned a long time ago in the work that I used to do, and I guess to some extent the work that I do now, that nothing is beyond possibility So I go into this with that spirit, okay? And we will take a look at it, and see if, y'know what this is all about. But you stay on Jimmy, and uh, we'll take, we'll take your name and number, and right afterwards we'll have somebody call you back, and we'll see. And then we'll report back on this one. And now we're gonna go to the Bronx, and we're gonna talk to Nina.
That call made my day. I had now reached the Mayor of NYC. If Rudy couldn't help us nobody would... Later as the talk radio show ended you can hear Rudy say," it's going to be one of those days around here."
