Bay Ridge

Bay Ridge Big Bing Theory hits a snag

November 21, 2018 By Meaghan McGoldrick Brooklyn Daily Eagle
The liftboat behind the mysterious bing heard by many residents in Bay Ridge. Photo courtesy of Matthew Kabel
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Verizon may have debunked the popular fan theory behind the source of the elusive Bay Ridge “bing.”

While some community members this week pegged the culprit to be a Verizon-sanctioned liftboat in the waters of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, The Gothamist on Nov. 21 noted a potential “wrinkle” in the timeline.

The company told the publication that the liftboat’s work (which is to see if it can expand fiber-optic services like FIOS in Brooklyn and Staten Island) began just last week on the Staten Island side of the bridge, and only made its way to Brooklyn this past Saturday.

However, Councilmember Justin Brannan first made note of the noise (which residents claim sounds like “metal on metal” and occurs at all hours of the day, though on pattern – not sporadic like construction) on Nov. 1 – long before the liftboat came to be.

“The work was completed on Monday evening and the barge is expected to leave at the next high tide,” said David Weissmann, public relations manager for Verizon, in an email to The Gothamist on Tuesday afternoon.

“As to the reported sounds,” he continued, “it is possible that they were a result of the work being done, but we can’t say for sure.”

Brannan, as well as Community Board 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann, originally considered the case closed.

As this paper first reported, the former proclaimed on Sunday, Nov. 18 that he’d believed he’d cracked the case, pointing to the three-legged liftboat.

Beckmann also told this paper that she was happy the mystery appeared solved.

However, as Gothamist’s story made its rounds, it has some residents second-guessing the theory.

Brannan, however, is not so sure.

“I’m still not convinced the sound wasn’t coming from that weird boat but who knows? I am now receiving tips from all over the place of where the bing might be coming from,” he told this paper. “I also just saw a video from the other side of the harbor on Staten Island that was very interesting.”

Either way, as one Facebook user put it on Brannan’s page, “This is getting good.”

“This very well may become Bay Ridge’s answer to Bigfoot,” the pol added. “I’m confident it will boost tourism. T-shirts and refrigerator magnets are imminent.”

 

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