WENT TO B.A.T. FOR COVID-19 TESTING

As part of return-to-campus, my son's school requires him to test for COVID-19.  I recalled seeing video footage of testing places having long queue of cars and thought that would be a safe way to get it done.  Everyone in their own cars, whoever getting tested just need to stick their head out the window to get the brush stuck up their nostril.  I also recalled seeing someone Facebook friends' post that the testing site at the Brooklyn Army Terminal (B.A.T. or just BAT) had no queue at all, you get in and out very quickly.  It's a huge place that I drive by whenever the BQE South has too much traffic and I take Second Avenue to the Belt Parkway.  Surely there's enough room for a long queue of cars.

I drove my son to BAT around 12 noon.  It was not an ideal time to be in the area.  Years ago there may be plenty of room for a long queue of cars but much has changed in the area.  There's a relatively new building erected to house a Ford service center, taking a chunk out of the parking lot.  Then there was some road construction along Second Avenue, running from 58th Street toward the entrance to the Belt Parkway, two-way traffic was controlled by a few road workers with STOP and SLOW signs.  The nearby hospital, now under NYU Langone, expanded and took a few new buildings, resulting in more traffic in the area.  The COVID-19 test site is a walk-in.  What's worst was that just north of Third Avenue it was alternate-side street cleaning between 11:30 A.M. and 1 P.M. that day. I could have just dropped off my son, he's old enough to do the test himself, but I was already in the area, I wanted to accompany him in.  Alas, with the construction and alternate-side sweeping, there was just no place to park, not even the parking meters were available.  We went to have lunch elsewhere and came back to squat in a place and waited in the car for 1 P.M. to arrive.  Supposedly, they cannot ticket a car that has a driver sitting in it, but I have no faith in the ticket agents, but I also have no choice.

At 1 P.M. or so we walked the few blocks to the test site.  There was no queue at all.  Literally in and out less than 15 minutes.  Fill out some quick form, verbally, sign some electronic pad, look up to the sky and let the lab technician stick the brush up your nostril, all done at walk-by windows.  There was even a mobile restroom that we used before heading back to the car.  Restrooms in NYC are even more difficult to come by these days.

The B.A.T. COVID-19 test site was really quick.  There were many booths to take care of clients if the queue was long.  Some bus stops right by the entrance so it's not totally unreachable by public transportation.  Depends on where you live, you may need to spend time with subway-to-bus transfer etc.  If you drive, find out the street-sweeping regulation, which days of the week, between what hours of the day, and time your arrival so you can easily get a spot.  There's no drive-in testing so be prepared to park or just to drop out your "patient".