Under the Throgs Neck Bridge

Plenty of individuals appeared to have no problem ignoring this sign, parking their boats and fishing in the East River under the Throgs Neck Bridge. The signs are presumably not directed at terrorists, who can generally not be expected to read and honor warning signs such as this. I guess the point is that anyone spotted loitering under this bridge is assumed to be a terrorist proper but rather a distraction to Coast Guard law enforcement, whose resources could be better directed toward saving stranded passengers and helping those in real need.

I photographed 2 boats idling under the Throgs Neck Bridge but remember seeing maybe 7 or 8 others. The boats loitering around here were quite small, and by appearances unable to haul enough explosive cargo to damage much of anything but the boat itself. That is the concern, is it not?

Years ago I was kicked out of Little Bay Park in Queens after I took a camera out of a bag whilst standing under this very bridge. I was unaware that this act was considered terroristical. A police officer sternly but politely told me to do him a favor and “just get outta here.” He appeared to be the only law enforcement individual guarding the bridge’s underbelly.

Only after the officer approached me did I notice a sign ordering “NO PHOTOGRAPHY”. I do not recall the sign looking very official. Unlike this sign directed at boaters I do not recall that the “NO PHOTOGRAPHY” sign under the bridge directed at pedestrians contained a chapter and verse citation pointing one to the exact law stipulating that photography underneath bridges is illegal. I suspect that no such law existed at the time.

The prohibition against loitering under the Throgs Neck and other bridges is found in “Title 33 – Navigation and Navigable Waters” of the “Code of Federal Regulations”. The Code contains no mention of fines or imprisonment, which are presumably left to the discretion of a judge.

(5) Bridge Piers and Abutments, Overhead Power Cable Towers, Piers and Tunnel Ventilators. All waters within 25 yards of any bridge pier or abutment, overhead power cable tower, pier or tunnel ventilators south of the Troy, NY Locks. Vessels may transit through any portion of the zone that extends into the navigable channel for the sole purpose of direct and expeditious transit through the zone so long as they remain within the navigable channel, maintain the maximum safe distance from the waterfront facility and do not stop or loiter within the zone.