Concrete Conundrum: Mysterious Giant Barriers Appear On NYC Street, Blocking Parking Spots
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A Manhattan neighborhood has been left with a giant mystery – who left all these concrete blocks blocking their block?
That's the question on East 10th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A after several concrete barriers that just seemed to appear out of nowhere. Residents, sanitation crews, and even the police are confused as to why the blocks are there.
"They are a complete mystery. I don't know what they are," one East Village resident told CBS2's Scott Rapoport.
Bewildered residents say no less than six enormous concrete barriers just appeared on their street in early February.
They are plopped on the south side of the street – right in the street - taking up coveted parking spaces, with no signs or permits explaining their presence or purpose.
It's become a confounding, concrete, conundrum for drivers in the neighborhood.
"They're massive. So somebody moved them here deliberately. But why? I couldn't tell you," another resident said.
CBS2 questioned both the city's Department of Transportation and the NYPD, both of whom said they don't know what's behind the 10th Street "block-ade."
"If I find out I'll find you and let you know," a perplexed postal worker said while driving around the annoying barriers.
At the moment, there are no answers as who did it and why it was done. Monday night, the DOT sent one-line response to Scott Rapoport's questions about the roadblocks.
The agency passed the problem on to Con Edison, saying CBS2 should contact the utility giant about the barriers. DOT did not explain why it would be their issue.