A group of individuals, including lawyers and doctors living in affluent areas, have been exploiting a city program that rewards citizens for reporting idling trucks. This lucrative arrangement has even led to reports of complaints against mobile coronavirus testing vehicles during the pandemic.
One of the standout earners from New York City’s citizen idling complaint initiative is Patrick Schnell, who has pocketed $582,800 since 2019. He’s been recording trucks idling for too long and sending those videos to the city, collecting up to 50% of the subsequent fines. Interestingly, this is just a side gig for him; Schnell is a pediatrician with a notable career, including stints at prominent medical groups like Pfizer.
Schnell, who resides in Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill, sometimes shares videos on his X account, highlighting hidden license plates and improperly parked vehicles. While his reported earnings sit around $500,000, he is among the top five earners in the program.
Another notable figure is Ernest Welde, an environmental lawyer from Manhattan, who has racked up a jaw-dropping $895,737 from this program since 2019, averaging more than $100,000 a year. Living in a trendy East Village area near Tompkins Square Park, Welde reportedly owns two nearby apartments, though attempts to contact him went unanswered.
Then there’s Michael Streeter, who has earned $709,975 and lives in a picturesque Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. A neighbor spoke highly of Streeter’s work ethic, suggesting that his efforts are beneficial to the local community by alleviating traffic congestion and pollution from idling trucks.
Another top earner, Ephraim Rosenbaum from the Lower East Side, has accumulated $725,025. His neighbors expressed puzzlement over his motivations for participating in the program, demonstrating that not everyone is on board with the whole idea.
In total, the program has seen notable participation growth since its 2019 launch. In fact, a significant increase in complaint filings was observed, jumping from about 49,000 in 2022 to 124,000 in 2024.
This protest initiative isn’t without critics, though. Many worry that idling laws misunderstand the necessity of engine activity for operational purposes, such as keeping vehicle batteries charged. Experts highlighted that many vehicles are essential for services ranging from refrigeration to running essential systems, pointing to a disconnect between complaint filers and the everyday realities of service delivery.
Amid these discussions, the Department of Environmental Protection has acknowledged challenges within the program, with some individuals committing fraud by submitting repetitive or fabricated reports. Local officials have expressed concerns over the notion of reporting becoming a profession, with a Queens city councilor emphasizing that this wasn’t the program’s original intent.
