Letters

I am writing to express my disappointment and dismay regarding the treatment one receives from the Southampton Town Police Department when one is wrongly issued a parking ticket by an indifferent, or poorly trained, or unqualified town code enforcement officer.

On this past Friday, July 26, my son and I used the Old Ponquogue Bridge launch ramp to enjoy a glorious day on the water, my $100 Marine Park permit (purchased two weeks prior and used without incident a week later) properly affixed at eye level to the rear driver’s side window. Upon return, I found a $100 parking ticket for “no permit in required permit parking zone.”

I assumed my sticker had been stolen, but it wasn’t. An immediate call to the Southampton Town Police Department diverted me to Justice Court (“sorry, sir, but once issued it can only be cleared by the court”). The court’s response: Go online and apply for a court date.

A re-call to the police department to ask to speak with a desk sergeant resulted in leaving a voicemail that was never returned.

A Marine Patrol officer who rolled into the ramp lot sympathized, saying, “I could see your sticker from a mile away,” but it was “out of my jurisdiction.”

I decided to forego a planned seafood lunch with my son and visit the police department in person, where an officer eventually appeared, listened to my plight, and basically shrugged apologetically while saying that since summonses are issued electronically, they can only be cleared through the court. When I asked if the traffic control officer could be contacted, the reply was, “No, we have no way to do that” (really?); not one consoling word, such as, “We’ll speak with her about this and get back to you,” until I asked.

I continued on to the nearby Justice Court, luckily vacant just before closing, and went through the requisite security search prior to walking four or five steps to a “box office”-type window, where a seemingly bored attendant took my summons and my permit receipt, did some sort of processing motions, and dismissed me with the words: “That should take care of it; if not, you’ll hear from the court by regular mail.”

I am a 72-year-old “rule-following” senior who purchases several different permits/licenses/ramp fees annually at various Long Island townships, and this has been the most souring experience. Two to three hours of time lost, a celebratory lunch forfeited, and a lingering sense of uncertainty about the outcome, all caused by ineptness and a “quick-draw” ticketing device.

I can only hope this can get better. Positive attitude, right?

George Dalecki

Wading River