Congestion charges leave a bad taste in his mouth.
The owner of a New York City diner named by Gov. Cathy Hochul says she won't be coming back there anymore, fearing the controversial $9 congestion charge will put her out of business. It is said that there is.
Hochul reiterated Thursday that he was speaking with diner patrons who support new fees for drivers below 60th Street in Manhattan, but Comfort Diner owner Tarek Soliman said the 2022 He said he hasn't seen much of Hochul since the gubernatorial election.
“After the election, she didn't come. She must have changed,” Soliman said.
“She always comes before elections.”
Mr. Soliman, who lives in Queens, said Mr. Hochul's driving fees would be a financial burden and deter customers from the suburbs and New Jersey from stopping in for a meal.
“It's definitely going to impact business 100%,” he said.
“How much money do people have to pay to eat at this diner? Nobody comes.”
Other restaurant workers and customers denounced the charges as a thoughtless government overreach.
“It's insane. It's terrible,” said Eddie Prekparzi, 21, who commutes from the Bronx to Manhattan to install checkout machines at restaurants.
“The government's job is to serve the people, but I feel like the people are taking too much and giving back too little,” he said.
Hochul mentioned the three dinners during Thursday's press conference announcing the death toll, saying, “I probably spend more time at dinner than anyone else in this room,” adding, “The woman I met… spoke. [a] Diner told me, don't assume people don't need to drive. ”
In June, Hochul told reporters that conversations he had with people at a Big Apple diner influenced his congestion pricing policy.
She went on to list Comfort Diner, Townhouse Diner in Murray Hill, and Pershing Square Cafe in Midtown as her favorite restaurants.
