Please don't start in on the level of being "ridiculous", it's very tiresome and shows that your armchair mentality will not grasp reality and facts. Since the inception of the signs (and of course some back up towing, ticketing and booting) daily permit abuse has been reduced 75 to 90%!!. I know this to be a fact because I actually count the number of illegal parkers on a daily basis on my block. When the numbers get too high, 311 calls are made, and towing occurs.

Don't question my activism, you again show foolish ignorance. I've been making 311 complaint calls for 3 years and also worked with the local community board directly to get No Permit Parking signs. All of the activists that you refer to also want these permanent No Permit Parking signs. I have been in several meetings with Matt Roth before he split to CA. I helped to get Community Board 3 to UNANIMOUSLY pass a resolution to request PERMANENT No Permit Parking signs. I have met personally with Community Boards 1 and 2, and Community Board 2 has also UNANIMOUSLY passed a similar resolution requesting No Permit Parking signs last month. Community Board 1, I expect, will be following this same request for permanent signs which will make for THREE COMMUNITY BOARDS IN MANHATTAN MAKING THE SAME REQUEST FOR PERMANENT NO PERMIT PARKING SIGNS. Just a couple days ago, I shook the hand of the local precinct commander in Chinatown and thanked him for all his good work. Why are all these people, TWO COMMUNITY BOARDS AND A POLICE PRECINCT, requesting these signs? Because they work! They obviously see something in Permanent No Permit Parking signs that you never will.

2 1/2 years ago, many ignorant people, doubters, just like yourself, never would have thought that NYPD tow trucks would tow cars with NYPD placards. Now this occured on six separate days this month.

No Permit,

No matter how many times you say it, this is still just a ridiculous assertion.

The ticketing and towing of govt employees in Chinatown has very little to do with the 8.5 x 11 inch pieces of paper taped to lampposts.

The towing in Chinatown is due to 3+ years of hard work an activism by Chinatown merchants like Jan Lee and Transportation Alternatives' Matt Roth and others.

The towing is also due to the change in personnel at DOT and their ability to finally get the mayor to press the issue with the NYPD.

Try putting up your paper signs on any street in Downtown Brooklyn to test your cause-and-effect theory. I think you'll find that tow trucks don't show up just because signs have been posted.

So, would you stop being so ridiculous? By continuing to say that it's all about the signs you do a disservice to community groups that are actually trying to make similar changes happen in their neighborhoods. You also do a disservice to the activists who have put so much effort into making this happen. It's actually all about the activism. The signs, if anythihng, are a by-product of that work as is the towing.

BTW - I spoke to Dep. Insp. Gin Yee and another officer from the 5th Pct last night. They both said that the increased towing activity is just "routine" police work. Let's hope this particular routine is contagious.