A 52-year-old New Jersey man who racked up $123,000 in fees and unpaid tolls on his mother's Ford Focus blames a cocaine addiction for his callousness. “When you’re addicted like that you don’t think of he consequences. You have other things on your mind,” Peter Davis told the Post. Davis, whose photo is found next to Webster's Dictionary's definition of "cocaine," is legally off the hook. His 75-year-old mother Jean is the one who is responsible for the fees. Have we found a challenger to the current titleholder of World's Worst Son? more ›

Port Authority police are investigating a possible suicide at the George Washington Bridge. NJ.com reports, "A bicyclist discovered an iPad, a set of keys and a pair of shoes on the upper-level, eastbound walkway about halfway across the bridge," and a Port Authority spokesman said, "It appears we have a jumper, about 8 o'clock this morning." more ›

This weekend, Open House New York threw open the doors to hundreds of the city's most fascinating, normally-off-limits historical sites. Despite some pre-OHNY weekend website snafus, most sites opened their doors without a hitch (though not without crowds). We stopped by the Little Red Lighthouse in Fort Washington Park to get a nautical view of the city—here's what we saw. more ›

Because the toll for his tractor-trailer to go onto the George Washington Bridge is $65, Nelson Vaquiz decided that it was much easier to build a contraption that lifts up and hides his license plate instead of just paying the pesky toll. Except he didn't count on a Port Authority cop to notice the disappearing license plate. more ›

Earlier this morning, the upper level Manhattan-bound George Washington Bridge roadway was closed due to a multi-vehicle crash and fuel spill. According to MyFoxNY, "Seven tractor trailers and a car collided at around 3:15 a.m. causing a fuel and anti-freeze spill. There were no serious injuries, according to the Port Authority." Seven tractor-trailers! more ›

Last night, around 8 p.m., a man was seen on the cables of the George Washington Bridge, closer to the NJ side and over a roadway. A source told Cliffview Pilot, "He is near the top of the cables and wants to come down but needs help"—apparently he didn't want to jump but he wanted ESU to get him. The source added, "He is calm and cooperative now. He has changed his mind." The bridge's upper level was closed until the Port Authority police were able to rescue him. more ›

Yesterday, between 50 and 100 people walked across the George Washington Bridge to pay tribute to Tyler Clementi. Clementi, an 18-year-old Rutgers University freshman, jumped off the bridge last month apparently after discovering his roommate watched webcam video of his sexual encounter and tried to broadcast a second one. Organizer Sommer Sheikh asked for "a moment of silence for Tyler as well as all of those who have lost their lives from bullying," and then said, Let’s all toss a rose in memory of those whose lives have been lost." more ›

A Harlem hip-hop artist and rap promoter was killed in an accident yesterday morning on the George Washington Bridge. Huddy Combs, also known as Andre Hudson and Huddy 6, 33, was in a car on the NJ-bound side of the bridge when it collided with a tractor-trailer around 5:15 a.m. he was pronounced dead at the scene. more ›

Yesterday afternoon police found the body of a young man in the Hudson River, north of the George Washington bridge. WPIX reports that the NYPD believes the body is that of 18-year-old Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi, who jumped off the bridge last week, leaving a Facebook message, "Jumping off the gw bridge sorry." It's been widely reported that on September 19th, Clementi's roommate, Dharun Ravi, "used a camera in his dormitory room to stream the roommate’s intimate encounter live on the Internet," as the Times puts it. But was the encounter actually "streamed live" on the Internet? more ›

Lemrick Nelson, the man convicted of killing a Hasidic scholar during the 1991 Crown Heights riots, remains in the hospital after being stabbed in the head—apparently with an ice pick—over the weekend. The Daily News reports that police are still looking for a suspect, "He was not robbed, so cops think he had a road-rage confrontation with the stabber, who escaped unseen. The car appeared to have fresh damage, as if it had just been clipped or sideswiped, and the door was open, police said." more ›

Lemrick Nelson, who was convicted of stabbing Hasidic scholar Yankel Rosenbaum during the 1991 Crown Heights race riots, was found stabbed in the head early Sunday morning. Nelson was found unconscious on Riverside Drive near West 168th Street, outside of his car, at 1 a.m. A bloodied ice pick was also discovered next to him; he was taken to Harlem Hospital Center where he is now in stable condition. A spokesman for the Rosenbaum family told the Daily News, "Thou who drowns someone else, will drown. It is now that the stabber gets stabbed. To Nelson, a crime with a knife involved is like bagel and lox." more ›

This November, a light beacon atop the New York tower of the George Washington Bridge turns 75. It's no ordinary beacon though. The beacon was installed in honor of Wiley Post, the famed pilot, and Will Rogers, the renowned humorist. The two died on August 15, 1935 in a plane crash in Alaska. Officially known as the Will Rogers-Wiley Post Memorial Beacon, the beacon is still the original one dedicated on November 30th, 1935. more ›

The weather was gorgeous so Barry Maggio, 59-year-old Massachusetts resident, decided to fly an ultra lightweight aircraft around New York City—and within 150 feet of the Statue of Liberty. According to the Wall Street Journal, "the U.S. Parks Police notified the Federal Aviation Administration, the New York Police Department launched a chopper to intercept the flight. The police helicopter radioed Mr. Maggio as he neared the George Washington Bridge" yesterday morning. more ›

A motorcyclist's fatal crash, during a police chase, near a NYC-bound lane to the George Washington Bridge early yesterday morning remains under investigation. Bergen County prosecutor John Molinelli says that Israel Curbelo, 39, crashed "near the bridge's toll plaza in Fort Lee around 4 a.m., after he struck a vehicle he was trying to illegally pass." Apparently Curbelo was being pursued by two police vehicles because he was driving erratically; according to Cliffview Pilot, at one point Curbelo drove across a residence's lawn during the four-minute chase and Molinelli also added, "Officers at the scene detected the odor of alcohol from Curbelo during resuscitative efforts, and a small amount of what is believed to be marijuana was found on [him]." more ›

Earlier this morning, a motorcyclist crashed near the Route 46 approach to the George Washington Bridge and was killed. Apparently NJ police had been chasing two motorcycles from Ridgefield Park before 4 a.m. WABC reports, "The chase continued into Fort Lee, where one of the motorcycle riders lost control, possibly after hitting a vehicle, at the lower level inbound approach to the George Washington Bridge. The motorcyclist flipped off the bicycle, slamming onto the ground. The rider sustained serious head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene." The other motorcyclist was injured. Because the investigation is still continuing, the inbound approach to the upper level is closed, causing delays. more ›

Police say a wild fight broke out on West 179th Street at 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon after Kevin Hernandez, 49, and his 18-year-old son Joseph tried to buy five pounds of weed from two dealers in a McDonald's near the George Washington Bridge. The Post reports that when the pair tried to pay for the herb with $3,500 in (probably pretty obviously) counterfeit cash, the dealers bounced. But the Hernandezes didn't appreciate this one bit, and proceeded to chase them down West 179th Street, where the father allegedly stabbed one of the dealers in the hand. more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Life is so unpredictable: One minute you're pulling out of a New Jersey gas station, the next minute you're diving off the George Washington Bridge to escape police after a high-speed chase. An unidentified man presumably fell to his death yesterday morning after trying to escape from cops who pulled him over for a "routine stop" while driving his 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix through Fort Lee. Police say the man was pulled over around 9:30 a.m. for failing to yield, and the vehicle "had law enforcement equipment inside." But within minutes he sped away toward the bridge, with the fuzz in hot pursuit. more ›

Last Friday, a man jumped off the George Washington Bridge—and survived and managed to swim to the NJ side, where he was taken to a hospital. According to the NY Post, "Adrian Rawn, 28, took the plunge without so much as a pause after abruptly stopping his car on the span's lower level at about 11:30 a.m." And that would be a 212-foot plunge into 55-degree water. more ›

Now that the sleepy George Washington Bridge guards have been fired, WCBS 2 says that it may only be the "tip of the iceberg," as Port Authority sources say "there are many incidents involving these guards. One guard reportedly lost his job for playing canned laughter over the police radio frequency so the cops couldn't talk to one another. In another instance a guard was reportedly asleep when a man walked by and jumped to his death of the bridge." The PA say the guards really just check security clearance of bridge workers, but "Port Authority police sources said they are also tasked with alerting them to suspicious activity on the bridge." Which is why Joe Lepore, the bicyclist who blew the whistle on the sleepy guards, said, "Maybe you just nod off at that one moment when somebody decides to sneak by some liquid nitrogen or some explosives and start to do damage. And I explained it to one of the guards on the other side. I said look if this bridge blows up, we're all going, including you... I didn't do this with a vendetta or any personal issue with anybody. It's safety for all of us." more ›

After a bicyclist caught two George Washington Bridge guards sleeping on the job multiple times—and sent the pictures to Cliffview Pilot which published them yesterday—the Port Authority announced the two men were fired, "The two guards have been fired by the security contractor, FJC Security. The Port Authority takes the safety of its passengers and facilities very serious and has spent more than $4 billion dollars on security since 9/11. The Port Authority welcomes the public's vigilance on matters of safety and security and we encourage our customers to contact us if they encounter anything out of the ordinary." Another bicyclist told the Daily News, "Normally, they are not sleeping. But I guess you should be attentive at this job, especially after 9/11." more ›

This morning, a man bicycling on the George Washington Bridge took photographs of a guard sleeping in the west guard booth on the NJ side. According to Cliffview Pilot, taking the photographs was easy for Joey Lepore, who said, "I didn't even zoom it. I walked right up to the window... I saw him nodded out on my way over to the city and then again on my way back. Enough is enough!" And apparently this isn't the first time Lepore, who owns and operates Bicycle Tour New York, has seen a guard sleeping—he once said to one, "Please just stay awake. I'm not asking too much," and has photographs of a sleeping guard (possibly the same one as today) from August 5. MyFoxNY points out, "Officials have said that bridges and tunnels remain a prime target for terrorists. In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, the Port Authority restricted photography on and on the bridge for security reasons (the rules have since been relaxed). In 2005 and 2006, the agency installed cylindrical bomb shields the section of the bridge's suspension cables closest to the deck." The Port Authority told Cliffview Pilot it was looking into the matter. more ›

The Port Authority unveiled renderings yesterday for an ambitious $152 million renovation of the George Washington Bridge bus station in Washington Heights. Built by Italian architect Pier Luigi Nervi, the sprawling three-level station opened in 1963, winning an award that year for its use of concrete in construction. It occupies both sides of Broadway between 178th and 179th Streets, near the entrance to the George Washington Bridge. more ›

Word is that many a ship are getting wrecked on the Hudson by the George Washington Bridge. Could Manhattan be drawing ships to shore with its sirens? Is this a marketing ploy for Lost? The Gay Recluse reports:

"Those arriving in Washington Heights for the first time are often surprised to hear splintering, cracking sounds in the distance. The shoreline is rocky and treacherous for those unfamiliar with its jagged contours, and what you hear is the slow wreckage of some poor soul who has strayed too close."

WWOR/channel 9 got a wake-up call that it's supposed to be a New Jersey TV station when the FCC held a hearing about the station's license renewal. Critics say the station's license shouldn't be renewed because it has failed to discuss NJ news and issues. The station, owned by News Corporation whose local media holdings include WNYW/Channel 5 and the NY Post, was moved to NJ in 1986 due to FCC law that each state... more ›

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a pedestrian struck at White Plains Rd. and 219th St. in the Bronx, an animal incident on Rochelle Pl. on Staten Island, and a hate crime at Columbia University in Manhattan. A tour of Jam Master Jay's studio, where the rap impressario was gunned down five years ago. A brief update on the unforgettable case where a man beat the bejeezus out of a grunting and yelping spin class... more ›

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a white powder incident at 25 Beaver St. in Manhattan, report of a large crowd gathered at the center of the south side of the George Washington Bridge's upper level, and an explosion in the basement of a building at 77th St. and Lexington Ave. in Manhattan. Dedicated bike paths and fences separating them from traffic can only do so much when a cab driver really wants to take... more ›

Of all the forbidden sites that were opened for public viewing last weekend in the 5th annual Open House New York program, the High Line was one of the crown trophies. It offered rare views of the city, sexy industrial details, and the mysterious allure of a wild grassy flying carpet that won't open until at least a year hence. Built during the same era (early 1930s) as the Empire State Building, the George Washington Bridge and other Gotham landmarks, could this elevated former freight railway become a comparably iconic amenity? more ›