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August 26, 2003
Cargo Pants -- Not a
Cargo Pants -- Not a Laughing Matter Lots of posts about this today. Lots of "ha ha, cargo pants" type stuff. Am I the only one that sees this as the first step towards a police state? Am I a...Posted by at 5:22 PM
August 25, 2003
Woman Killed in Dispute With
Woman Killed in Dispute With In-Law "A Queens woman with a history of mental illness allegedly hacked her elderly mother-in-law to death with a meat cleaver after the mother-in-law refused to give her rice, saying it would make the daughter-in-law...Posted by at 10:57 PM
Thieves Take Figure of Jesus,
Thieves Take Figure of Jesus, but Not the Cross "Who made off with Jesus? The question hung in the air of the Church of the Holy Cross in Midtown Manhattan on Sunday after caretakers noticed that a 200-pound plaster rendering...Posted by at 10:53 PM
Dust and Deception "Last week
Dust and Deception "Last week a quietly scathing report by the inspector general of the Environmental Protection Agency confirmed what some have long suspected: in the aftermath of the World Trade Center's collapse, the agency systematically misled New Yorkers about...Posted by at 10:46 PM
August 24, 2003
Mayor Mobbed at Pakistani Parade
Mayor Mobbed at Pakistani Parade "As the parade started to move south on Madison Avenue at 42nd Street, Bloomberg was swamped by a flag-waving throng of friendly but forceful well-wishers who bulldozed his security detail, jostling the mayor." Note to...Posted by at 9:02 PM
Attempted Robbery Ends As Stabbing
Attempted Robbery Ends As Stabbing "An attempted robbery turned deadly in Washington Heights when a man was fatally stabbed after forcing another man into a car to rob him, police said." This whole story would be more interesting if I...Posted by at 8:55 PM
2 Wounded in Hoops Gunplay
2 Wounded in Hoops Gunplay "A gunman opened fire near a crowded Bronx basketball court yesterday after he and some pals got into a fight with players in a local tournament, leaving a teenage boy with life-threatening wounds, cops said."...Posted by at 8:45 PM
August 22, 2003
Woman shot to death at
Woman shot to death at Ravenswood Houses "A Long Island City man allegedly went berserk, firing wildly at trees, windows and the sky outside the Ravenswood Houses after he shot his girlfriend to death inside the couple’s apartment, police and...Posted by at 12:14 AM
Train Pusher and More See
Train Pusher and More See a sketch of the guy they think pushed another guy in front of a 5 train. Also: "A 23-year-old man was arrested yesterday for hitting his girlfriend with a broomstick in a Longwood apartment building,...Posted by at 12:03 AM
August 21, 2003
Sperm Con's Sentence Stiffened "A
Sperm Con's Sentence Stiffened "A judge took pity yesterday on a the wife of a sperm-smuggling mob hit man impregnated from behind prison walls, hitting her with a slap-on-the-wrist sentence." Count the puns with me. It's fun....Posted by at 12:26 AM
August 20, 2003
NYPD Coloring Pages "Learn about
NYPD Coloring Pages "Learn about Police Officers while having fun!" Click through to PDF files. I suppose I could make some joke about improving the diversity of the NYPD by crayon choice, but I won't....Posted by at 11:00 PM
Woman Missing Since Blackout "Still
Woman Missing Since Blackout "Still missing is Maria Trela, 77, who arrived here from Poland in June and has been living with relatives in Queens. She was last seen at noon Thursday at the family's apartment."...Posted by at 5:56 PM
Guide To Manhattan Bathrooms "They
Guide To Manhattan Bathrooms "They call it the City That Never Sleeps. But a closer description might be The City That Never Pees." Har har. Something tells me they saw this: About.com - Clean Bathrooms in New York City...Posted by at 5:53 PM
Another Hit by Train "The
Another Hit by Train "The body of a man who had been struck by a train was discovered by the operator of a Manhattan bound R train 300 feet into the tunnel from the 63rd Drive station in Rego Park."...Posted by at 5:48 PM
August 19, 2003
MetroCard Safety Net This is
MetroCard Safety Net This is perfect if (when?) someone steals your wallet. The MTA is considering a program to replace lost or stolen $70 metrocards: "Sources said transit officials are strongly considering giving riders a free, one-per-customer refund or replacement...Posted by at 11:07 PM
Baby Saved In Foiled Carjacking
Baby Saved In Foiled Carjacking "A Brooklyn man experienced a parent's nightmare yesterday when he left his 1-year-old daughter in his car only to have the vehicle stolen."...Posted by at 9:33 PM
August 18, 2003
New York cops record first-ever
New York cops record first-ever arrest for Segway theft Howard Sherman pointed this out: "In a law enforcement first, a New York City man was arrested last week in connection with the theft of a Segway, the $5000 self-balancing scooter,...Posted by at 10:01 PM
Trucks, parkways, make for bad
Trucks, parkways, make for bad combo "Tandem signs posted at every parkway entrance clearly say 'passenger cars only,' but in case the words don't register, a second sign shows a black truck with a diagonal line through it — the...Posted by at 9:19 PM
Con Ed Worker Killed On
Con Ed Worker Killed On Way To Work "Before 7:00 a.m. Monday morning, Vincent Gargiulo, 34, was shot once in the face in front of a phone booth at 30th Street and Broadway. He was presumably on his way to...Posted by at 9:05 PM
August 16, 2003
The Rise of Complex Terrorism
The Rise of Complex Terrorism -- Foreign Policy Magazine "In different parts of the state, half a dozen small groups of men and women gather. Each travels in a rented minivan to its prearranged destination—for some, a location outside one...Posted by at 10:17 PM
Amy Langfield - On the
Amy Langfield - On the last car of the Q Train between DeKalb and Atlantic "4:10 p.m. The subway stops. Air conditioning goes off." A great account of being on the subway during "The Blackout of 2003." Note how many...Posted by at 10:00 PM
During blackout, fewer crimes than
During blackout, fewer crimes than on a normal NYPD day "New York police say they responded to fewer calls of bodies found, break-ins and other felonies during the outage than on an average NYPD day."...Posted by at 5:24 PM
August 15, 2003
Bullet Points on Blackout Rather
Bullet Points on Blackout Rather than actually taking full advantage of the English language, I'm just going to throw out some quick thoughts on what T-shirts are calling the "Blackout of 2003." * Who else thought at first it was...Posted by at 11:33 PM
Gothamist - Blackout of 2003
Gothamist - Blackout of 2003 As I often do, I'm going to yield to Gothamist's coverage of a major New York City event. Great wrap up of photos and coverage of the blackout....Posted by at 11:23 PM
August 14, 2003
Homeland Security Advisory System Am
Homeland Security Advisory System Am I wrong to feel an Orange coming on? I just have that feeling. Not the feeling of being afraid of something happening (which goes back to my theory behind ScaryNY -- people aren't afraid of...Posted by at 12:02 AM
August 13, 2003
Jet Fuel Farm Goes Unguarded
Jet Fuel Farm Goes Unguarded "Thirty million gallons of jet fuel sit unprotected at a fuel farm in Queens. Until recently, Port Authority Police patrolled the area. But now according to documents obtained by Eyewitness News those security posts have...Posted by at 11:52 PM
N.Y. Times Reporter Held Near
N.Y. Times Reporter Held Near Airport "A New York Times reporter and photographer who were following up on a story about lost boaters at Kennedy International Airport were themselves picked up by police near the airport Wednesday." I used to...Posted by at 11:46 PM
NY Daily News City briefs
NY Daily News City briefs Cop accidentally shoots himself. Another intentionally shoots herself. Teenager burns parakeet with blowtorch and a city police officer charged with raping his girlfriend....Posted by at 2:15 PM
Man injured after falling onto
Man injured after falling onto subway tracks "A man who told police he was pushed into the path of a Manhattan subway train Wednesday was in critical but stable condition with a broken leg." This has been the summer of...Posted by at 2:10 PM
7 hurt in FDNY, NYPD
7 hurt in FDNY, NYPD collision "A fire engine and a police truck rushing to separate emergencies collided in Queens yesterday, injuring five firefighters and two cops, police and fire officials said."...Posted by at 2:04 PM
August 12, 2003
Three on Fishing Trip Accidently
Three on Fishing Trip Accidently Breach JFK Security "Three people are behind a stunning security breach at Kennedy Airport. Eyewitness News has learned they started on a raft and ended up walking along a runway. Police questioned them about what...Posted by at 5:11 PM
After nearly 17 years, Wyley
After nearly 17 years, Wyley Gates goes free "Wyley has shown no remorse right up to today," he said. "Let New York City put up with him," Brahm said. (people are still coming to ScaryNY looking for Gates info, so...Posted by at 2:43 PM
New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department Excited to Have Web Site There is no reason for this page. None. But it sure is cool to look at! Check out the 5-0 5.0. Rockin'....Posted by at 12:25 AM
Rikers Officer Killed by Tree
Rikers Officer Killed by Tree Branch "A correction officer driving to Rikers Island was killed yesterday when a tree branch fell on his car and crushed him, police said." This is the third of fourth time I've heard of a...Posted by at 12:14 AM
Ferries: Targets for Terror? "Large
Ferries: Targets for Terror? "Large passenger ferries pose the greatest terrorist risk in maritime transportation, because they confine several thousand people in one space far from land and have little or no passenger screening." People seem really surprised by this....Posted by at 12:10 AM
August 11, 2003
Gates released from state prison
Gates released from state prison "Wyley Gates was released from prison Monday 16 years after his conviction as a teenager on charges related to the deaths of his father, his brother and two others." Because people are still looking for...Posted by at 6:03 PM
Mar-chell Williams Prevents Pick Pocketing
Mar-chell Williams Prevents Pick Pocketing "'SEABISCUIT' co-star Ed Lauter's girlfriend can kick your butt. Lauter, who just arrived in New York last week from Spain where he was filming 'Art Heist,' and galpal Mar-chell Williams were sightseeing when two men...Posted by at 10:01 AM
August 10, 2003
Would-be burglar dies in air
Would-be burglar dies in air shaft "A would-be burglar took a one-way trip down the air-conditioning vent of a Meiers Corners bagel store and apparently suffocated after getting stuck in the narrow rooftop opening, police said yesterday." Crime doesn't pay....Posted by at 2:37 PM
A Macy's in Brooklyn Is
A Macy's in Brooklyn Is Robbed of $37,000 by 2 Masked Men "Two masked robbers entered the Macy's department store at the Atlantic Center mall in Brooklyn yesterday, assaulted a security guard and made off with $37,000 in cash, the...Posted by at 2:15 PM
Cops nab 'Hulk' bandit "Police
Cops nab 'Hulk' bandit "Police yesterday arrested a 37-year-old South Beach man they say is the Hulk-masked bandit who robbed a deli in New Dorp and a Burger King in Dongan Hills Thursday morning." What a jackass. The Hulk is...Posted by at 2:12 PM
Call them NYPD green "A
Call them NYPD green "A Police Department program that allows officers to moonlight in uniform - providing security for stores, neighborhood associations and even private citizens - has skyrocketed in popularity." I've been seeing cops in uniform "protecting" such stores...Posted by at 1:59 PM
August 7, 2003
OT: About Today Off topic:
OT: About Today Off topic: I start something new tomorrow at my day job and I'm pretty jazzed about it (did I just say, "jazzed?"). Sign up for About Today and receive a daily newsletter featuring some of the best...Posted by at 11:57 PM
Passengers, MTA Differ on Canal
Passengers, MTA Differ on Canal Street Explosion "But it's a far cry from last night, when the situation bordered on chaos. A piece of the braking mechanism on a train broke off and hit the third rail. There were explosions...Posted by at 11:42 PM
Pepper Spray Evacuates Bowling Alley
Pepper Spray Evacuates Bowling Alley "A man sparked pandemonium in a Bay Ridge bowling alley Wednesday when he squirted Mace-like spray into the air, panicking adults and children gathered for a birthday party and a summer camp field trip, police...Posted by at 11:34 PM
Paperwork review will hold up
Paperwork review will hold up Gates release "The planned release of Wyley Gates after 17 years in custody for slaying four people, including three members of his family, will probably be delayed, a state official said Wednesday." I'm getting a...Posted by at 10:30 AM
August 6, 2003
Night Out Celebrates Plunging Crime
Night Out Celebrates Plunging Crime Rate "The city's crime rate is much lower than it was when National Night Out Against Crime was created 20 years ago, but that didn't stop thousands of New Yorkers from coming out last night...Posted by at 10:34 PM
Trained NYC Hawks Attack Chihuahua
Trained NYC Hawks Attack Chihuahua "Trained hawks employed to keep pigeons from making a mess on visitors in a midtown park have been grounded because one of the birds mistook a Chihuahua as its lunch." So I spend a lot...Posted by at 10:22 PM
New York offers luxury return
New York offers luxury return to mugged tourist "A Canadian tourist mugged on her first visit to New York has received a flood of invitations from five-star hotel and restaurant owners, asking her to give the city a second chance."...Posted by at 2:47 PM
National Night Out - 2003
National Night Out - 2003 Well, shit. I missed it. I had every intention of linking to this and making a big deal about it. Look for follow-up stories tomorrow....Posted by at 12:46 AM
Bike Girl Gets Wheel Surprise
Bike Girl Gets Wheel Surprise "An 11-year-old Brooklyn girl, crushed when the bike she won in a school contest was stolen by thugs, was given a surprise consolation prize: new wheels courtesy of police detectives and a local businessman." This...Posted by at 12:38 AM
August 5, 2003
New York Pursues Old Cases
New York Pursues Old Cases of Rape Based Just on DNA "New York City officials said yesterday that they planned to systematically review biological evidence from hundreds of unsolved sex crimes, with the goal of indicting the unidentified attackers based...Posted by at 11:55 AM
August 4, 2003
6 Hurt in Gun Violence
6 Hurt in Gun Violence "Six people were shot in separate incidents between Saturday night and yesterday morning, including a man who was hit by a stray bullet while standing on a street in the Lincoln Center area, police said."...Posted by at 10:34 PM
Al-Qaida suspect arrested in NYC
Al-Qaida suspect arrested in NYC In other news... "The FBI has arrested a Pakistani man with alleged ties to al-Qaida in New York City, NBC News has learned." Alleged. The case is sealed, so don't expect anyone to parade this...Posted by at 10:29 PM
Grandpa Shoots Neighbor Who Told
Grandpa Shoots Neighbor Who Told Boy to Shoo "A Brooklyn man was in critical condition yesterday after he was shot in the stomach for shooing away a boy on his building stoop, police said." Update: More details from the NYT....Posted by at 10:19 PM
Gothamist: Tourist Attacked on East
Gothamist: Tourist Attacked on East 78th "A tourist was attacked last night at 9PM on East 78th Street, between Lexington and Park Avenues." Once again, Gothamist does a nice job of summing up a front-page crime story. As you've been...Posted by at 10:52 AM
August 3, 2003
Queens Crash "Wanted to Die"
Queens Crash "Wanted to Die" "A 5-year-old Queens boy hit and killed by a car when he ran out from between two parked vehicles had a death wish, a family friend said yesterday." This is an update to a story...Posted by at 2:13 PM
Why is New York safer
Why is New York safer than Chicago? Other cities whishing they were as safe as New York. Giuliani receives mad props, as they say (or used to say - I don't know)....Posted by at 2:07 PM
Traffic Cop Runs Over Homeless
Traffic Cop Runs Over Homeless Man "A drunken homeless man passed out in a Manhattan gutter was accidentally run over early Saturday by a traffic enforcement agent, police said." Accident or not, I swear these traffic cops (you know, the...Posted by at 2:00 PM
August 2, 2003
Two pigeon stories in the
Two pigeon stories in the news. Both are crazy: Birdseedman Arrested Again For Littering, Feeding Animals Jesus... I don't even know which line to pull out and quote. Just read the whole thing, as they say. Busted Bird Girl's Seeds...Posted by at 12:13 AM
August 1, 2003
Boy Hit By Car In
Boy Hit By Car In Queens, Dies "A 6-year-old boy was hit and killed by a car in the Queens neighborhood of Astoria, police said." The picture of this boy will make you cry....Posted by at 11:39 PM
"Safer America" Store Closes The
"Safer America" Store Closes The anti-terror equipment store near the WTC site that profited from the worries and fears of New Yorkers has closed. Good. "Yet, after dozens of terror warnings and one large-scale run on duct tape this past...Posted by at 11:48 AM