8-26-2004

7:26pm The inbound entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel was completely devoid of police presence.  No one. Not 1 person.  Many large looking vehicles but not one person.  Usually there are policeman randomly checking vehicles.

When I arrived in NY, I called 311, the NYC information line to find out who to call.  Jennifer tried to help me.  She said it was a non emergency matter and she could fill out a form and send it to the precinct but she couldn't do that because the address I gave her, "Interstate 495 and the Lincoln Tunnel", did not come up on her computer.  She could not go any further with 'the complaint'.  She offered to give me the number for Port Authority but she said they were closed so I would have to call back in the morning.

I passed 2 NYPD on the street and asked them about it.  One just looked away from me, the other told me "they're there, you just don't see them". I told him there was no one there at all.  He said they were probably in plain clothes and they had cameras and "they're there".  I told him there was no one there, in uniform or out of uniform.  He then proceeded to talk to the other officer as if I was not there.  He was saying, "why is the Empire State Building lit up in red? Is that some sort of signal to terrorists? I'd like to see them hit the empire state building. That thing is made of solid steel.  It would never come down."


When I got to the office, I looked up the Port Authority Police number on the internet which was listed "to report suspicious activity" and there was no answer after 25 rings.  I called the other number and Sergeant Stone answered.  He also claimed they were there but gave me the number for the Lincoln Tunnel desk so I could "find out why". 

I called the Lincoln Tunnel desk at 8:21 pm and told him that I saw the signs that said, "If you see something, say something" and so I thought I would call.  I told him there was no one at the inbound entrance at all and he said they were there.  I told him that at 7:26pm there was no one, not one soul, there.  He said he was sitting right at the desk and that he should know.  He offered to let me speak to the Lieutenant if I wanted to make a complaint.  I told him I didn't have a complaint and that as long as he had it under control I didn't need to talk to anyone else.  He said, "Its under control".


P.S. The area around Herald Square was teaming with cops, presumably to protect conventioneers who were shopping.