Phantom hydrant haunts Sheepshead Bay man

A Sheepshead Bay man says he's been fighting a ticket for the past two years that accuses him of parking in front of a fire hydrant that doesn't actually exist. Simon Belsky says on Nov. 3, 2002, he

News 12 Staff

Sep 11, 2008, 10:58 PM

Updated 5,868 days ago

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A Sheepshead Bay man says he's been fighting a ticket for the past two years that accuses him of parking in front of a fire hydrant that doesn't actually exist.
Simon Belsky says on Nov. 3, 2002, he received a ticket for blocking a hydrant at 2909 Avenue U. However, there is no hydrant at 2909 Avenue U - it's at 2911.
Belsky has had no luck escaping the ticket so far. He says he has run into nothing but red tape.
Department of Finance officials claim Belsky didn't have sufficient evidence against the ticket. They also say ticketing agents can list a neighboring address on a ticket if there's no clear address at the actual hydrant site.
But Belsky hasn't given up. He filed paperwork to sue the city in state Supreme Court and, driven by frustration, is even considering running for the office of public advocate in 2009.