By: LARRY MAIER
Six parking spaces in the commuter lot on the north side of the Baldwin train station have many residents crying foul and coughing up $25.
The "Baldwin resident only" parking lot was recently re-striped, and when the lines were re-drawn, six of the spaces in the northernmost parking lane were omitted.
But, while not as bright as the new ones, the old parking-space lines are still visible. People continue to park there, not knowing that the spaces are now illegal. They get ticketed and wonder why.
Commuters also wonder why, if residents are routinely ticketed for parking in the spaces, county police don't inform the Town of Hempstead that there may be a problem with the markings in the lot.
Two months ago, Baldwin resident Marty Misher, an 18-year regular on the 6:29 a.m. train, was running a little late, took a later train and parked in one of the six spots, not realizing it was illegal. When he returned in the evening, he assumed the $25 ticket on his windshield that said he was "parked outside of the lines" was given because he was poorly parked in the spot, not because the spot didn't exist.
Misher realized the real reason behind the ticket only after he saw the lot from the train platform on a Saturday afternoon, when the lot was practically empty. From that vantage point, the distinction between the lines is clear, but not from ground level, Misher said.
As further proof of commuter confusion, Misher said he has often seen cars parked in the six spaces early in the morning, when most of the lot is still empty.
Misher suggested either legalizing the spots or making it clearer that they are illegal.
"The first thing they should do is open up the spots. The cars that are parked illegally are not, in any way, blocking traffic," Misher said. "And if it is really illegal, just mark big 'Xs there, make it obvious."
Town Councilman Tony Santino said he hopes to put an end soon to the confusion. "My office has been made aware of the problem and I am attempting to get that area re-striped," Santino said.
The entire commuter lot is scheduled for an improvement project in spring 2002, but Santino said he will not wait until then to get something done. "We want to try to demark that in a better way so that people better understand where appropriate parking is," he said.
First Precinct Insp. Anthony Rocco said that county police are only responsible for ticketing illegally parked cars, not for suggesting whether spaces should be legal or not.
"If they are unauthorized spots and people are parked there, then summonses are issued," Rocco said.
However, Rocco said that if the town decides that the spaces should be legal, commuters who received tickets for parking there may have recourse not to pay.
Baldwin commuter Greg Bosch said he has never parked in one of the six spots but can see how fellow commuters could be confused. Bosch suggested that, until the parking restrictions are made clear, the town should ask the police not to ticket cars parked in that area.
"I think that would be fair. It's kind of a tricky call and it should be straightened out before more cars are ticketed," Bosch said.
Santino said he is hesitant to do that, because his office gets other calls about the illegal parking practices of non-Baldwin residents in the lot and he would not want to limit police jurisdiction.
"That's a double-edged sword," Santino said. "I'm not sure I would want to go down that route."
