Does NYPD Blue not have better things to do?

See letter posted below to recount this outrageous hoopla.


April 11th, 2009

Environmental Control Board
Mail Adjudication Unit
68 John Street, 10th Floor
New York, New York 10038

Dear Environmental Control Board:

This morning, on my way to run to my local convenience store to purchase Cat Litter, I disposed of my trash in a public trash bin, as the ones provided by my apartment building were full, which is often the case.

Mind you, I have disposed of my garbage many times this way when the above aforementioned is the case in the decade I have resided here. In ten years, I have never been stopped, seen a sign, or issued a fine when I have done this.

It was to my utter shock when an officer stopped me and asked me for my ID. I was terribly taken aback and frightened that I had done something wrong, unbeknownst to me. He was very cocky and took his sweet time explaining to me why I was being approached, but finally told me he observed me disposing of my personal trash in a city trash bin, and fined me $100.00, while pointing to a sign that said this was illegal.

I had no knowledge of this, nor had I ever seen such a sign before. Linings in the trash bins and weather conditions can easily hide this. Had I known that this was not allowed, I NEVER would have proceeded to dispose of my trash this way both in the past and of present.

Despite my explaining to him that I truly did not know that this was the case, that I was in a hurry to attend a Religious Obligation for Holy Saturday, he took his sweet time in recording my drivers license information, and was incredibly arrogant and rude. When he finally issued me the paper fine, I asked him what I needed to do to appeal or fight it. His response was “Oh… so how in a hurry are you now?” I was indeed in a hurry, as I had to be on the Upper West Side at 11:00AM and all of this occurred at approximately between 10:AM and 10:15AM.

I must say that as a crime survivor myself, I have to ask myself, do your officers not have anything better to do with your time than to go after people like me who made an innocent mistake and presented no danger to society? If public trash bins can not be used to dispose of trash, then what are they there for? He was a bored cop with nothing better to do with his time, probably pissed off that he has not risen above sanitation duty, and decided to get his jollies by punishing me- on a Holiday Weekend, no less.

To fine me with such an enormous citation when I explained to him over and over again that I did not know I was doing anything wrong is egregious. The least he could have done was issue me a warning, but he was unmerciful.

In conclusion, I will not and can not afford to pay this fee. I suffer from Epilepsy. Massive accidents as a result of this medical condition resulted in very serious injuries that I sustained to my teeth- injuries requiring oral reconstructive/cosmetic dental surgery that my insurance does not fully cover. I am buried in medical bills, various Dr.’s appointments, etc, and I do not have the personal time to defend my position by appearing in court at this outrageous abuse of power and injustice. I maintain my position that I honestly did not know that I was doing anything wrong, and was very alarmed and unsettled by both this incident, and the Officer’s attitude itself.

I ask in kind to please excuse me of this violation, as I state yet again, was completely unaware I committed one.

Sincerely,

Michele Pardon



State of New York, County of New York

Dated this day of April, 2009

Notary Public



Seal: