73rd Street Clear while the 75th Street Pest Remains...for now

 Thanks to working together, Sanitation and the Dept. of Transportation were able to remove the perpetual "PSYCHIC" sign chained to a lamppost om the corner of 73rd and 1st Avenue (opposite Bareburger). Nice to NOT see that eyesore:

Meanwhile, two blocks up, the classy neighborhood is still sullied by yet another phony with palm reading games and a scofflaw mentality. Like the 73rd Street "psychic," this one has been a scofflaw since 2012, if not longer. You'll find entries on her antics throughout this blog. She's still at it, chaining up a sign in broad daylight on 75th in front of the Pony Bar (1444 First Avenue). All to try and get grieving people and superstitious immigrants to go down the block and part with their money. 

This kind of trashy, ugly sign has no place in any neighborhood. The "psychic" (at 435 E 75) has somehow festooned the front of the building with three huge signs advertising her "skills," and that's not enough. She's been called up time and again and told to remove the sign, and she says, "Oh my, I had no  idea it was illegal," and then it's chained up a few days later. One sanitation worker, Scott James, went to her door, knocked, announced he was with Sanitation, identified himself, and she wouldn't let him in.

In the summer, her repulsive husband lounges in front of the walk-up building...while she pesters passersby with illegal flyers....

When there's a summer street fair, she doesn't buy a table like any normal merchant. She sneaks a chair at the corner of 75th and 1st, puts up a table, and goes after fools:

Yes, cops were there, and the local politicians had staffers at paid-for tables, and she was not paying a cent for her street fair "space." This has been going on since...well, here's an entry on this blog going back to 2012, when she had a preposterous sign that offered "pet readings." It does look like the dog might be stupid enough to bite...

The bottom line is that none of this should be going on after eight years. Both "psychics" (73rd and 75th) should have been fined so heavily they'd never THINK of chaining up a sign ever again. Some of the problem has been the "it's not my job" and "who handles this" confusion when people report to 311. A free-standing sign and a chained one can be two different city agencies! But clearly, the 19th Precinct and its "Community Affairs" officer should have been on this and personally told off BOTH "psychics" to stop their games and respect the neighborhood.  

What's the Different between a Bicycle "Hoop Rack" and a Lamppost?

For the SECOND time in about a year, the "PSYCHIC" scofflaw had a sign CLIPPED AND REMOVED from the bicycle "Hoop Rack" in front of the Asian deli-bodega between 72nd and 73rd on YORK. 

But, despite being reported at the SAME TIME, nobody has CLIPPED AND REMOVED the OTHER sign, which the "PSYCHIC" has chained to a lamppost on the corner of 73rd and 1st Avenue.

WHY IS THAT? 

This "PSYCHIC" has been a scofflaw for over EIGHT YEARS. Not enough fines to make this con-job nuisance stop? 

The city could be making a fortune fining this creep, removing the signs, and forcing her to buy a new one or STOP THE SWINDLING. (Or risk pestering passersby with leaflets, as her stooges have done so often!) 

The "PSYCHIC" has a storefront down the block at 425 east 73rd so if the fines aren't paid, the city could PADLOCK the place and even EVICT this blight on the neighborhood.

The Upper East Side is no place for ugly signs that try might lead the elderly and the immigrants to be taken for every sent they have due to a smooth-talking BAJOUR. 

MICHAEL WILSON of THE NEW YORK TIMES has written up the fake psychics as long as THIS creepy East Side menace has been scofflawing.

He knows these "psychics" can not only con superstitious people, and the elderly, but "normal" people who are caught at a vulnerable time, like Niall Rice:   

JULY 24 and BRAZEN SIGNS IN BROAD DAYLIGHT FROM THE "PSYCHIC" - 8 YEARS a SCOFFLAW

Here she comes again. 

The Mayor's Office said, back around September 24, 2019, that the sign in front of the Deli (between 72nd and 73rd on York) was REMOVED. And it was. So look who got a NEW ONE: 

Who owns that pole? Department of Transportation? Who is going to remove it again and FINE this SCOFFLAW and force her to sign a CEASE AND DESIST document? 

Also in broad daylight, there's always a sign in front of BAREBURGER, 73rd and 1st Avenue. BAREBURGER doesn't put a sign there to call attention to themselves -- the PSYCHIC DOES. 

TWO SIGNS BRAZENLY PLACED by the "PSYCHIC" at 425 East 73rd. 

THE PLAGUE IS BACK - not COVID, THE GYPSY SCAMMER

Update:

AS OF JULY 24th, 2020 the EIGHT YEAR problem remains: a "PSYCHIC" on 73rd CONTINUES to chain A-Frame signs at 73rd and 1st and 72nd and York and the 19th Precinct looks the other way.

This is a shame because they have a "community affairs" officer, one who shows up at meetings of the 79th Street Block Association. 

In a perfect world, this officer should go to the "psychic" at 425 East 75th and say: "No more chaining of signs. You'll get tossed in jail for 3 days without bail for...(you name it, public nuisance, scofflawing, etc.) 

Back on September 24, 2019, a small victory was reported here: 

GOOD NEWS: 

This sign is NO LONGER an eyesore on York avenue between 72nd and 73rd (in front of the deli).  

BAD NEWS: 

The 'Psychic' still has another one on 72nd and 1st in front of Bareburger, and then put up another at the deli where the first sign was removed! 

THE RESPITE LASTED NINE MONTHS.  The Mayor's Office reported the deli sign's removal, and promised to "monitor" the problem. But the sign chained to the bike rack is back and the one at Bareburger's never been removed at all: 

Here is the replaced sign in front of the upscale bodega, between 72nd and 73rd on YORK AVENUE. 

HOPEFULLY NEW YORK CITY ISN'T GOING TO LET THIS CHEATING SCOFFLAW GET AWAY WITH THIS ANY LONGER.

This is a good neighborhood. One of the best. Real estate prices are still high. It should NOT look like a slum with crappy A-frame signs advertising con games.