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I got a summons for being in Central Park after the curfew. It was just before 2 AM when I got the summons. I was at a party on the Upper East Side and when I left I had to take the either the A train on Central Park West or the 1 train on Broadway, because the Lexington Avenue trains will take me up to the Bronx and I live in Washington Heights. The Madison Avenue buses (M3 & M4 buses) which come to Washington Heights weren't running at that time. The next crosstown bus (M79) according to the schedule at the bus stop was almost a 35 minute wait from the time I arrived at the stop to the time the bus was scheduled to show up. So I decided to go across thru the park. I entered the park on 79th and 5th and when I was about half way across a police car came out of nowhere, speeding down the somewhat narrow path I was walking on as I was headed west just south of the 79th street transverse. The speed at which the car approached me made me think that had seen me from a distance. Anyway, to make the long story short, they asked me for ID, asked me what I was doing in the park and also asked me if I was cruising for sex in that area of the park. I said "no" but I said to myself: huh, WTF is he talking about if I'm cruising for sex? The officer was very nasty and had an attitude (I'm Hispanic by the way and I had a feeling that's why he was so rude to me). Anyway, he gave me the summons and told me to stay the "f**k" out of the park between 1 AM & 6 AM (very unprofessional for an officer to use the "F" word). I said ok but that I had no way to get to the west side to catch my train to go home and then he replied that he didn't wanna hear it. I continued on my way and when I reached the west side road of the park, not far from the Central Park West exit of the park, another police car was sitting there and I was stopped again and unbelievably he wanted to give me another summons for the same reason, despite me showing that him not even 5 minutes earlier I had gotten a summons. But he didn't give it to me and then told me to get out of the park and "get lost" (as in disappearing). I'm 27 years old and I've lived in NYC my entire life and this is the first time I ever get a summons for this particular reason (I've gotten two more previously, one for public urination and another walking between cars on the subway. The latter one is just ridiculous to get a summons for). This is ridiculous and a waste of tax payer"s money. It just doesn't make any sense to me why these cops are targeting people walking thru a park and/or worrying if someone is in there looking for sex rather than going out there on the streets and looking for real crime. I'm especially upset because I have a female cousin that was raped at knifepoint back in 2008 and officers took forever to show up after they were called. But for stupid things like people walking thru a park or walking between cars on the subway, they show up right away. This is absurd. And then top it off they're so rude and nasty too for no damn reason. I don't even feel like missing a day of class (I'm in college) to go to that stupid court on October 20th. Total waste of my damn time!! I'm tired of all the stupidity and BS of the NYPD
Completely agree. If the park is closed from 1Am to 6am it should have all the gates to it closed. Same thing goes for walking between train cars. The only one that it presents a danger to is the person doing it. People should be able to make their own choices for themselves. Regarding the park you took the risk at night and walked. Add arresting people for not paying parking tickets, taxes or breaking and entering someone's home in the middle of the night for suspicion of having a pill or plant, this is why people hate police: because they are not about protecting people from rape, murder, assault and battery, theft and vandalism but about blindly following orders and contributing to the police state.
I suppose that it escapes both of you that protecting people from rape, murder, assault and battery (doesn't exist in NY fyi), theft and vandalism (how does on vandalize a person?) includes enforcing laws that keep them out of locations prone to all of the above (except as noted).
The parks are closed at night in NYC to deter crime. You Mr. Op could have been a potential victim or prospective perp. The cops in this case did exactly what society demands of them: deter crime.
Also, people like DJW001 will always hate the police. I'm fairly certain the police don't care about that.
I suppose that it escapes both of you that protecting people from rape, murder, assault and battery (doesn't exist in NY fyi), theft and vandalism (how does on vandalize a person?) includes enforcing laws that keep them out of locations prone to all of the above (except as noted).
The parks are closed at night in NYC to deter crime. You Mr. Op could have been a potential victim or prospective perp. The cops in this case did exactly what society demands of them: deter crime.
Also, people like DJW001 will always hate the police. I'm fairly certain the police don't care about that.
I completely agree. The problem is not the police but the people that vote for them to do these things. If a cop is told to give tickets to people walking across the park, is he supposed to risk losing his job just to accomodate you? NYC is really suitable for the very poor and very rich, and nobody in between.
I got a summons for being in Central Park after the curfew. It was just before 2 AM when I got the summons. I was at a party on the Upper East Side and when I left I had to take the either the A train on Central Park West or the 1 train on Broadway, because the Lexington Avenue trains will take me up to the Bronx and I live in Washington Heights. The Madison Avenue buses (M3 & M4 buses) which come to Washington Heights weren't running at that time. The next crosstown bus (M79) according to the schedule at the bus stop was almost a 35 minute wait from the time I arrived at the stop to the time the bus was scheduled to show up. So I decided to go across thru the park. I entered the park on 79th and 5th and when I was about half way across a police car came out of nowhere, speeding down the somewhat narrow path I was walking on as I was headed west just south of the 79th street transverse. The speed at which the car approached me made me think that had seen me from a distance. Anyway, to make the long story short, they asked me for ID, asked me what I was doing in the park and also asked me if I was cruising for sex in that area of the park. I said "no" but I said to myself: huh, WTF is he talking about if I'm cruising for sex? The officer was very nasty and had an attitude (I'm Hispanic by the way and I had a feeling that's why he was so rude to me). Anyway, he gave me the summons and told me to stay the "f**k" out of the park between 1 AM & 6 AM (very unprofessional for an officer to use the "F" word). I said ok but that I had no way to get to the west side to catch my train to go home and then he replied that he didn't wanna hear it. I continued on my way and when I reached the west side road of the park, not far from the Central Park West exit of the park, another police car was sitting there and I was stopped again and unbelievably he wanted to give me another summons for the same reason, despite me showing that him not even 5 minutes earlier I had gotten a summons. But he didn't give it to me and then told me to get out of the park and "get lost" (as in disappearing). I'm 27 years old and I've lived in NYC my entire life and this is the first time I ever get a summons for this particular reason (I've gotten two more previously, one for public urination and another walking between cars on the subway. The latter one is just ridiculous to get a summons for). This is ridiculous and a waste of tax payer"s money. It just doesn't make any sense to me why these cops are targeting people walking thru a park and/or worrying if someone is in there looking for sex rather than going out there on the streets and looking for real crime. I'm especially upset because I have a female cousin that was raped at knifepoint back in 2008 and officers took forever to show up after they were called. But for stupid things like people walking thru a park or walking between cars on the subway, they show up right away. This is absurd. And then top it off they're so rude and nasty too for no damn reason. I don't even feel like missing a day of class (I'm in college) to go to that stupid court on October 20th. Total waste of my damn time!! I'm tired of all the stupidity and BS of the NYPD
I'm feel safer already knowing that cops can be incredibly rude and unprofessional while communicating with a civilian who is compliant.
Is that how you talk to people who pose no immediate danger to you? Is showing humility a sign of weakness, or respect? You know, just MAYBE, if more NYPD officers showed a little compassion and humility towards the people they are interacting with, it would do wonders for their reputation. Anyway, from what I know about city parks, they closed after 1am and yes can be fined for trespassing after dark.
Central Park has had a jump in robberies and other crimes lately so I understand the need for more police presence but how they shouldn't have talked to you in a disrespectful manner. If you can't take the subway, then hail a cab, which can be a challenge of itself.
The officer sounds like he spoke to you in an unprofessional manner--assuming you didn't start by copping an attitude but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.
As others have stated the park is closed for a good reason. You may have only been cutting across but you could have just as easily been there to commit a crime. No one can read your mind as to what your motivations are.
Part of living here means dealing with rules like this and you can't expect special treatment. If you lived in the city your whole life than you should have known that you weren't supposed to be in the park at that time.
Lol, I, a foreigner lived in a different state. And I could have easily walked in a park or on the beach at night, even carrying a gun, and if a cop saw me, he would only say hello. the only good jobs to have in nyc are IBanker(because u can leave the city at will with all that $$) or NYPD(you get to kick in the ass the same people that voted for those stupid laws).
From now on you'll WAIT for the CROSSTOWN BUS or TAKE a CAB as you know entering Central Park at night is simply not permitted by the law and if you flout this you will get another summons.
If you were talking along one of the main streets that's one thing, but if you went in a dark path in Central Park in the early am hours you were there for either sex or drugs dude.
For that matter, I can't imagine most New Yorkers would walk across Central Park at night like that. Everytime I have had to cross the park at night I waited for the BUS!
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