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Residents Furious Over Illegally Parked Trucks In Forest Hills

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Trucks are taking over another Queens neighborhood.

CBS2 found around two dozen parked Sunday night in Forest Hills, some idling for hours.

Residents said they are begging the city to help. Reporter Lisa Rozner first reported on the problem two years ago. On Sunday, she went back to speak with residents who said the situation has only gotten worse.

Truck fumes filled the air, but she wasn't at a truck stop.

It was actually the Grand Central service road spanning several blocks starting at 64th Road. For the last three years, Rafy Yusupov and his neighbors say it's what they come home to every night -- and it's especially bad on weekends when trucks are left for days.

"Always noise, always smell, traffic," Yusupov said.

"There's a one-lane road that's now narrowed ever more," resident Scott Friedman added. "Turning onto the side streets is also very difficult."

"Very dangerous and it's like very scary," another resident added.

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When Rozner first reported on the problem two years ago police ticketed and towed some of the vehicles. Even last week, the NYPD's 112th Precinct again tweeted about a heavy duty tow operation.

But residents said it hasn't been a deterrent.

On Sunday night, Rozner counted more than 20 trucks had returned. She asked people working on the trucks, "How come you're parking here and not at a place where you're supposed to park?"

The driver in question didn't answer.

Another told Rozner he's received tickets worth hundreds of dollars, but he said he keeps coming back because he has no other choice.

"There's no parking areas in New York," the driver said. "They have a rest area, but it's all the way down on Long Island. Nobody is going to go down to Long Island to park."

Another driver, who asked that CBS2 not show his face, said he hauls waste to city landfills, so Long Island is out of the way.

"You can drive for 10 hours, right? But after that you can no longer drive. Otherwise, you are ... you are breaking the laws," the driver said.

Speaking of breaking the laws, the Department of Transportation has previously said 53-foot trailers are only allowed on the nearby Van Wyck and Long Island expressways. Residents said they call 311 and are told, "Thank you for calling," Friedman said.

"It's dangerous. You don't even know whose in the truck. You never see the people," resident Elizabeth Borukhova said.

Yusupov said the city has even ticketed him for garbage allegedly left by trucks. And if it doesn't stop soon, he's considering moving.

The NYPD said it was reaching out to the commanding officer of the 112th Precinct to get more information.

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