A second portion of the bill, which Vallone admits is a work in progress, would address what he sees as a loophole in the current law. During the course of researching his bill, Vallone said he discovered there are no repercussions for a voyeur who, for example, cuts a hole in a bathroom or dressing room wall to look in on others. As long as the perpetrator isn’t videotaping, it’s not a crime.
   But if Vallone has his way, convicted peepers would face up to 90 days in prison and $500 in fines. And although the bill has been much maligned by critics as vague and unenforceable, Vallone has expressed a committment to working through its “gray areas” to narrow the bill’s definition of just what kind of behavior constitutes a crime.
   He stands by the bill’s constitutionality and notes that similar laws are already in place in other states, including Washington and South Carolina.
   The immediate impetus for Vallone’s proposal came from local complaints about a man who frequently sat under the stairway leading up to the Ditmars Boulevard Station looking up women’s skirts.
   During Monday’s mid-morning rush, commuters in a hurry to catch their trains expressed mixed feelings about the councilman’s proposal.
   Pamela Simancek, an Astoria resident, takes the subway from the Ditmar’s station every day. While she’s never noticed the peeper underneath the stairs, she welcomes anything the community can do to make the station safer. She recalled a recent incident where a woman was robbed and molested nearby and also noted that there are no lights at the station at night.
   While she’s never been the victim of uncomfortable stares at the station, Simancek said Vallone’s bill might send out a signal to potential lurkers.“
   “I think it is probably going to be hard to prove in court someone was looking, but sometimes it is very obvious,” Simancek said. “Fortunately, I don’t wear skirts.”
   Another commuter, Melissa Prieto, said the problem seems to be more prevalent in Manhattan. Prieto often ignores annoying stares, but thinks that if the bill can help crack down on the lurkers who bother other commuters more frequently, it will ultimately be a good thing.
   Astoria resident Samantha Croney takes the N train from the Ditmars station daily. Although she’s never been bothered by anyone at the station, she has been in an uncomfortable situation on the train. Croney agreed with Prieto that peeping toms are more of a problem in Manhattan than Astoria.
   She said Vallone’s bill seems reasonable, especially considering that his office had received complaints about a particular offender nearby. “If people are looking up people’s skirts, they should be put in prison.”
   Vallone introduced his bill to the city council last Wednesday.