‘The Wire’ creator David Simon in feud with NYC DOT over speeding ticket
NEW YORK — “The Wire” creator David Simon isn’t mincing words about the Big Apple after he was slapped with a speeding ticket for “racing” in a New York City school zone in the middle of the night. And now authorities are clapping back.
The two-time Emmy winner, 63, took to Twitter-turned-X this week to slam the “off-brand” city following the incident.
“What sort of off-brand city sends me a $50 camera ticket for speeding in a school zone for racing at 36 mph in a 25 zone at — wait for it — 5:40 a.m. in total darkness on a morning in — wait for it — mid-July?” the D.C. native tweeted, in a post that has been viewed nearly 2 million times. “Two-word clue: Yankees Suck.”
“Delete your account,” ordered a tweet from the New York City Department of Transportation’s account. That tweet, viewed over 1 million times thus far, also garnered nearly 10,000 likes.
The department added that 25 mph is the city-wide speed limit and that “10% of people die when hit at 23 MPH. 25% die when hit at 32 MPH.”
Nick Benson, the Chief Communications Officer and Deputy Commissioner of the department, similarly didn’t hold back in the ire he aimed at Simon.
“Can you imagine tweeting about a $50 speed camera violation for EIGHT(!!!???) hours. The writers’ strike really does need to end,” Benson replied, referencing the Writers Guild’s ongoing picketing, which started in early May.
But Benson didn’t stop there. The DOT honcho shared The New York Times’ article about Simon’s tweet: “Hell Hath No Fury Like a Writer Who Gets a Speeding Ticket.”
Some did express support for Simon though, with user @thefrownyface questioning, “Why is it a school zone violation with no school? If it’s a normal speeding ticket, that’s fair.”
“We all know that no driver observes 25mph in Manhattan when there’s no traffic and most don’t get ticketed by NYPD,” argued @summerallyr.
