Times Square Was Not The Right Place, And Definitely The Wrong Time
Days before New Years Eve, less than one week after the attempted suicide bombing of the Northwest Airlines flight into Detroit, the last place that a vendor should have thought to keep his van parked for an extended period, illegally, is at the epicenter for worldwide celebration, New York's Times Square.
George Freyre was arraigned on Friday after his van was discovered in a no parking zone, with no license plates and windows covered. He is charged with doctoring the expiration date on a temporary plate taped to the back window, and for the unlawful use of a police parking permit that was on the dashboard. If convicted, he could face up to 7 years in prison.
Beyond questioning the intelligence of the man who would leave a van parked in this location, the larger question is how it could have remained there unchecked and not towed away for as long as it did? Had it not been New Years, and had the owner had a more sinister plan, the result could have been far more tragic.
Someone, be it a tourist, or certainly a worker or store owner in the area, must have noticed this van and wondered why a suspicious looking vehicle was parked in a no parking zone for so long. This is a perfect example of the campaign of "if you see something, say something" not working at all.
It is up to us, the people, to play a role in our own protection, and not to just assume someone else will take care of it!
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