WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES DECEMBER 7, 2017 17
LETTERS AND COMMENTS OP-ED
BIKE LANES SEEM
TO DEFY DRIVING
LOGIC
As a Schwinn Cruiser Deluxe biker,
I have been biking along Queens Boulevard
in the new green bike lanes,
while serenading myself with some
songs from The Wizard of Oz. Follow
the green brick road, follow the green
brick road . . . (a parody of Follow the
Yellow Brick Road), as I dodge vehicular
traffi c from all sides in the green
bike lane.
According to the state Department
of Motor Vehicles driver’s manual, bicyclists
“must stay near the right curb
or edge of the road, or on a usable right
shoulder of the road, to avoid undue
interference with other traffi c.”
Yet, the cited bike lanes have been
designed and constructed near the left
edge of the service roads, in violation
of the bicycle rule of the right.
Further, motor vehicular traffic
may cross diagonally at some points
from the main road, through the
bicycle lane, onto the service road,
and ongoing cars, buses and trucks
traverse the bike lane to pass slow or
backed up traffi c in the single service
road. There are no provisions for law
enforcement of illegal motor traffi c
within the bike lanes only demarcated
with yellow and white painted lines.
Ironically, despite the dangerous
hazards of these bike lanes, a bicyclist
“must ride in a bicycle lane, if a usable
one is available.”
We need new safety, environmental
and business impact studies of these
nascent bike lanes.
Joseph N. Manago, Flushing
TERRORIST
ATTACKS
HIT ALL OF
HUMANITY
As reported, Islamic extremists
killed 235 worshipers during
prayers and wounding many others
on Nov. 24. Two dozen children
were also murdered. This occurred
at the Al Rawda mosque in Bir al-
Abed, Egypt.
As a Catholic and a grand knight
in the Knights of Columbus, I fi nd
this carnage to be a most nefarious
act. It seems no religious faith is
sacred from ISIS’ heinous and murderous
acts against innocent people.
When one person is killed by
terrorist, it is an attack upon all of
humanity.
My heartfelt prayers go out to
these Egyptian families who lost
loved ones that were murdered and
wounded in this unprovoked attack
in Egypt.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.,
Glen Oaks Village
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publication or its staff.
Protect yourself from identity
theft this holiday season
BY STATE SENATOR JOSEPH ADDABBO
Identity theft , the fastest growing
crime, is a serious issue that can
aff ect victims for years, even aft er
the case is resolved and the perpetrator
is brought to justice. Now more
than ever, with the recent high-profi le
security breaches at Equifax and Uber,
private information is increasingly
vulnerable.
Equifax, one of the country’s three
major credit bureaus, revealed that
it was the victim of a cyber-attack between
mid-May and July 2017, where
hackers were able to get a hold of the
personal information of more than
145 million people. Additionally, they
stole the credit card numbers for about
209,000 individuals.
In response to the Equifax breach,
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman
introduced the Stop Hacks and
Improve Electronic Data Security Act
(SHIELD Act), which would expand
New York’s data security laws.
In late 2016, the ride-sharing company
Uber suff ered a breach where
hackers stole the names, personal
email addresses, and phone numbers
of 57 million customers worldwide.
The breach included the driver’s
license numbers of 600,000 U.S. Uber
drivers. Instead of alerting customers
that their information had been
breached, the former CEO of Uber
allegedly paid the
hackers $100,000 to return the data
and kept quiet about the hack. Information
about the hack was only made
public a few weeks ago.
When identity thieves start accumulating
massive amounts of debt
applying for mortgages, opening new
credit cards and student loans, as well
as breaking into bank debit accounts,
and fi ling insurance claims, and that
debt inevitably goes unpaid, the victim
will suff er the long-term
consequences. Aside from immediate
fi nancial loss, victims may face
credit issues, loss of benefi ts and even
legal problems.
During 2017, three bills passed the
State Senate (Bills S468, S2406A, and
S3654) regarding identity theft and
how the crime is treated in the penal
system. I voted “Yes” on all three bills
to highlight that those responsible
should pay for their crimes. I am
hopeful these bills will be
re-introduced in 2018 and pass both
the Senate and Assembly.
Although it is diffi cult to prevent
your information from being stolen
from a large corporation — like Equifax
or Uber — there are ways to safeguard
yourself and your information
from becoming a victim.
With the holiday season in full
swing, I urge people to be extra careful
when swiping their credit and debit
cards at stores, or inputting their information
to make purchases online.
There are several ways to protect
your personal information during this
holiday season, including being aware
of phishing emails and phone calls that
require you to enter bank account information;
checking for skimming devices
when using ATMs — which are used to
copy your card information; not using
public Wi-Fi networks when shopping
online; and checking your account
statements oft en to monitor for fraud.
If you feel that you have been a
victim of identity theft , the fi rst thing
you should do is contact your bank
or credit card company and lock the
problem account, so no additional purchases
can be made. It is then advisable
to contact one of the credit reporting
agencies to place a fraud
alert on your accounts. This prevents
any identity thieves from opening
additional accounts in your name.
Identity theft is a crime and should be
reported to the police immediately.
For more information on what to do
if you believe that you are a victim of
identity theft , visit the Federal Trade
Commission’s website, www.identitytheft
.gov.
Addabbo represents the 15th Senatorial
District, which covers much of
southwestern Queens and the western
Rockaways.
A LOOK BACK
The holiday shopping season is in full
swing, so this is the perfect time to
show you what one of Queens’ busiest
shopping strips looked like years ago.
This 1959 shows the Myrtle Avenue
streetscape in Ridgewood, facing
west toward Wyckoff Avenue. Note
Woolworth’s and S.S. Kresge, two
popular “fi ve-and-dime” stores, on
the north side. Featured prominently
on the left is the Loft Candy Store at
the corner of Myrtle and Onderdonk
avenues. Send us your historic pictures
of Queens by email to editorial@qns.
com (subject: A Look Back) or mail
printed pictures to A Look Back, ℅
The Queens Courier, 38-15 Bell Blvd.,
Bayside, NY 11361. All mailed pictures
will be carefully returned to you.
