Old shoes, an old TV set, a mattress — these things can be found when you walk or drive near Baisley Boulevard near 172nd Street.

In fact these trinkets and many others have been on display for the better part of a year now for many to see and some have come by this spot not to buy or barter from this collection but rather to add to it.

You see, I’m not talking about some second-hand store, or
a salvage spot for antiquing. These manifestations of other people’s past are threatening the present for those
unfortunate to live near this one-way marketplace.

This is because the space I speak of is a vacant lot that is anything but empty. It is a lot that has turned into a dumping ground for some and a battleground for so many others.

The people or victims of this somewhat living testimony to insensitivity have tried to get someone to simply do what they are supposed to do.

They’ve contacted the city to either clean up the area or fine the person, persons, or entity responsible for the growing, and increasingly dangerous mess.

That failed.

They contacted the company that owns the property to see if it would at all be interested in being a good neighbor. Well needless to say without the threat of punishment, the Rochdale management company managed to do very little about it.

It’s said that good fences make good neighbors. Ah, if only things were that simple.

The plain truth is a complaint like this one, which is not only longstanding, but also documented, would not be unheard and un-responded to, north of Hillside Avenue.

From the tire dumping of the seventies and eighties, to the jet fuel dumping of the nineties, Southeast Queens has had enough dumping.

The city, visa-vie the Parks, Sanitation, Environmental and Buildings departments, should at the least slap the owner of the property with a fine inspirational enough to keep the lot clean.

And since we’ve heard a lot about "quality of life" crimes, how about a random check to arrest the clowns who slip in under cover of darkness to either crap on their own neighbors or someone else’s.

I don’t care if he’s a Long Island business owner looking to cut corners on commercial garbage fees or a Southeast Queens professional too lazy or cheap to get whatever they bring there hauled away. Catch one or two fine them and give us the names so we can print them, to let everyone else know who they are.

The garbage that piles up not only acts like a huge sign that says "dump here," it also encourages the immigration of other New York residents who don’t pay taxes — rats.

Southeast Queens residents pay some of the highest taxes in the city based on their property values, which aren’t the only things threatened by the rodents.

Children have to walk past this lot to get to and from school.

Thankfully its cold now but hopefully the foundation of this problem will weaken or wisen up and not allow it to run into the warmer months, and run one of those kids into trouble.

Pray For ‘Our’ Family

While usually my ramblings are of one subject, I cannot leave the keys of my laptop without mentioning the family of Thomas Johnson, Jr.

No one with a child can imagine burying him or her ever, nevermind at 17 years of age.

I thought about getting a call like that about my son, and my heart stops every time.

Don’t start with all the promise, hope and potential, but work your way back from the flesh and blood aspect of it.

Your son has been shot and is dead.

No goodbyes, no final thoughts, or last expressions or love and over what?

It was a non-descript argument about a girl, during which a thug allegedly pulled out the physical representation of his manhood and fired at the unarmed teen.

We’ve all heard the cliches related to this kind of tragedy, so I won’t repeat them only to say enough is enough.

Pray for the Johnson family.

They are our family.