What the heck are these new MetroCard kiosks doing smack dab in the middle of the sidewalk?
New Yorkers are used to things on sidewalks --muni-meters, bicycle racks and the bygone phone stands -- but those are always close to the curb. So neighbors are scratching their heads over the SBS MetroCard machines right in the middle of the sidewalk near the intersection of Cross Bay Boulevard and Pitkin Avenue in Queens.
"Somebody must have been drinking and put it in the wrong spot," joked store decorator Eddie Cavuto.
Actually, the Department of Transportation says the kiosks were installed exactly where they were supposed to be.
"Okay, the worker didn't screw up, but the architect was drinking and he screwed up," cracked Cavuto.
The DOT says the kiosks are for a new bus lane and bus stop arriving there, and "our standard is to align the fare machines and other Special Bus Service amenities (like wayfinding totems) with the back of our shelter."
"These enhanced bus stop amenities needed to meet our minimum sidewalk clearance requirements," the DOT said.
Local
But the back of that shelter will be in front of Joe's Kitchen and Bath store -- and the owner has witnessed the kiosk commotion.
"I saw a little girl on her bicycle and she almost ran into it if her father hadn't stopped her," said Joseph Composto.
Cavuto wondered, "How many people you know texting and they're walking, they walk in the middle of the sidewalk because they're used to it. They're going to bump into something. It's gotta be moved."
People on the block say they've complained and have been told someone will look into it, and that's where it stands. And the kiosks, well, they're still standing there, too.
