Oh, almost forgot the irony here...as I returned to the scene of the scam to warn my fellow downtown neighbors and visitors, I drove past Starbuck's and the 'town square park'...there were at least 30 - 40 ILLEGALLY parked cars surrounding the square. No tow truck drivers in sight...no parking authority agents in scooters, no JCPD issuing tix or moving the cars along, no JCFD alarmed by the hazard this could create. Ironic???

So, what's the split of the $152 ya think??? Lefrak gets 40%, EZ towing 40%, someone in the city office responsible for approving traffic patterns, giving private streets to developers and the like gets 10%, and security detail gets a taste too for a) not warning folks...and b) calling it in to EZ? I mean, it's just a thought.

I too was \"scammed\" in front of Morton Williams this past Sunday evening. As has already been mentioned, all of the \'greater Newport\' area parking, south to Pavonia north to Newport Parkway includes FREE metered parking on Sundays. The measly little sign when approaching the Lefrak private road from the Duane Reade direction is approximately 12 inches by 8 inches, surely not intended to stand out and appropriately WARN nor INFORM the public that they enter at their own risk. (I was only made aware of it AFTER the fact by the tow truck operator; it would\'ve been funny if the entire charade wasn\'t so pathetic.) Furthermore, the parking signs are made to look like (read: MIMIC) city-issued signs...they are in red and green lettering with red & green bordering, lending the \'appearance\' that this metered-parking is \'similar\' if-not-the-same as the other metered parking in the area. Lastly, the meters...absolutely shameful if not hysterical that our ill-informed city fathers would sell their souls to allow the Lefrak\'s to install these o the streets...and most likely have trained their security people to NOT warn unsuspecting \'shoppers\' in the area to feed the meters.

So, in additon to the pay-off by EZ Towing to Lefrak for the privilege (the tow truck driver said \"service\"; LOL!) to tow cars from those metered parking spots (btw, it\'s your word against his as to whether you fed the meter or not; when I asked him to prove it, he simply smiled and shrugged his shoulders!!!), one could suspect that there are others who have their palm greased as they call EZ towing to say, \"We have another sucka for ya, hurry up and get down here and take this car!\" I watched as security guards stood, mouths shut, not warning drivers to feed the meter. And to the a-hole who is \"defending\" this practice on this thread...he\'s either a) a Lefrak employee (perhaps it\'s Fermin?) LOL, b) a security guard there, or c) a JC polictician who allowed this in the first place.

More often when there are \'new initiatives\' in an area, proper warnings are indicated and a period of appropriate education is performed, without penalty...until such time has passed and the community has been briefed. I live in this community...I was not made aware. IT IS A SCAM! And as such, I will be taking my business elsewhere, never to shop at Morton Williams again...nor at the eye doctor next door. This is my only recourse against Lefrak. If enough people do the same, he\'ll cease this practice and reimburse me my $152. Short of that...hello A&P, Shoprite, et al.

BTW, ALL of those other stores abutting M-W were closed that evening...there was no encumbrance nor harm to my parking there while running into M-W for a few minutes. Why must the vehicle be towed?

To all others who were scammed, contact Steve Fulop...we\'ll get this changed, and this Lefrak scam too shall pass.

C\'mon Dan, get with the program!!!

p.s. - after I retrieved my car from one of the most dangerous sections of the city - Grand Street near the junction; if you are a woman and your car is towed, DO NOT go to retrieve it alone!!! - I returned to the area and fed meters the rest of the evening and warned other unsuspecting drivers to do the same! The tow truck operator who circled all night WAS PISSED!!! LMAO!!! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
p.p.s. - Sadly, one other car that was towed that night also was that of an 80 year old man, with disability parking stickers and certification hagning from his rear-view mirror...tow truck driver couldn\'t care less and off he went with this poor old fella\'s car. SHAMEFUL.