Results tagged “parkingticket”

Earlier this week, the City Council passed a bill to add a five-minute grace period for drivers in certain no parking zones, such as alternate side parking regulations and expired Muni-Meters. Amid debate about the bill's worthiness, Mayor Bloomberg vowed to veto the legislation, saying "The five-minute grace period is only going to lead to chaos and enormous increases in the number of contested tickets, and in argument. Whose watch are you going to use?" Well, based on one Daily News reporter's experience, maybe it doesn't matter at all!

If you awoke this morning with a parking ticket on your windshield, look closely, because the reviled orange and white leaflet might actually be a piece of last-minute campaign literature. In what he calls "guerilla campaigning," Republican City Council candidate Joe Nardiello has been placing fake parking tickets that double as campaign literature on cars in Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, Kensington, Windsor Terrace and Borough Park.

Since the city's tax revenue has plummeted, with the stock market and the fortunes of Wall Street, the Staten Island Advance notices, "The city plans to collect a record $900 million in fines during the upcoming fiscal year, which begins next week, according to budget estimates," thanks to fines like "A $25 fine from Sanitation for failing to comply with the city's recycling regulations. A $250 summons from Parks for not stopping to 'scoop the poop' from your pet. A $200 fine from Consumer Affairs for leaving your shop store open while the air conditioning is running, and a $250 ticket from a traffic agent for leaving your engine running while you run into that store." Restaurant violations are up from $27 million last year to $38 million this coming budget year, but the big money maker is parking fines, which may rack up $600 million this year. Sari Kingsley, a recent victim of the ticket blitz, said she got her ticket minutes after parking outside her office, with the traffic agent claiming it had been there for over two hours; Kingsley said, "It's beyond just enforcement. It's harassment."

Remember back when (almost) everyone was in the holiday spirit and poor 'ol Saint Nick got a ticket for double parking? And then he fought that ticket because everyone knows there really is no Santa Claus? Well, he lost the fight. Santa, real-life retired school teacher Chip Cafiero, says he got word of the crushing defeat on Friday. Last November the 60-year-old had double parked to hand out gifts from a horse-drawn carriage (uh oh) at a Marty Markowitz-sponsored event. He says the city can take his $115, but they'll never take his Christmas spirit (and they're totally going on the Naughty List).

A lawsuit filed in Brooklyn Federal Court accuses NYPD officers of disregarding a man's weakened condition and medication needs after they arrested him for driving with a license that had been suspended for unpaid parking tickets. 50-year-old Glenn Seldon of Queens was battling colon cancer when police arrested him in May 2007; his wife says that when she tracked him down to the 108th Precinct station house, she found him handcuffed to a chair and sitting in his own waste. From there Seldon was taken to Central Booking, and when he was finally released from jail four days later, he was "gaunt from dehydration, incontinent, and weeping uncontrollably." Not only that, his infection had worsened and his blood platelet level was dangerously low. Seldon died days later of a cardiac arrest, but his wife tells the Daily News she "believes the stress and the trauma accelerated his death."

The double-parking Santa who got a big 'ol ticket as an early Christmas present is speaking out! The Daily News reports that "he appreciates the outpouring of support, but he won't accept any charity to pay the $115 fine." He doesn't, however, want to pay it himself either. Commonly known as Chip Cafiero, he says he is "very appreciative to hear that so many people want to help him out, but as a matter of principle, we have to fight this ticket." Allegedly he'd like to prove a point about parking in the area; "These meter maids are harassing our small businesses in Bay Ridge, and it is time that we make a stand and fight for what's right. All those people who wanted to help Santa may be getting something a little extra special under the tree this year." Cafiero was dressed as Claus to hand out gifts to children when he was ticketed—so many, including Marty Markowitz, have rallied to support him.

Santa may be able to fly fast through the sky, but when it comes to parking he's got to follow the law like the rest of us civilians. The Daily News reports that one Santa (The Santa?) double-parked his sleigh SUV on Third Avenue in Bay Ridge, and "neighbors and politicians demanded the summons be quashed." But James Huntley, "who heads Local 1182, defended the agent who slapped a ticket on Chip Cafiero's SUV." He also added that seeing the driver in a Santa suit wouldn't have changed the law, and notes that calling the agent a Grinch or Scrooge isn't going to make matters better (is that a threat?). Marty Markowitz, whose office sponsored the event that Santa was at, said "It's the holidays. In these situations, there should be a combination of common sense and holiday spirit instead of humbug." Free double-parking at Brooklyn Borough Hall for everyone in a Santa hat!

All hail the Scofflaw King! NYC's Department of Finance has released their top ten list of individuals with the most unpaid parking tickets, and coming in at number #1 is scofflaw royalty Alexander Khamish (not pictured), who doesn't even reside within the city limits! The Merrick, Long Island native was confronted about his 415 unpaid tickets by the Post yesterday, and he swears it's all just a big misunderstanding: "Basically, someone registered [the offending] vehicles under my name. I knew about this a couple years ago, but I didn't know it [involved an] $80,000 [debt]." A spokesperson for the DMV says they've received no paperwork regarding his allegedly stolen identity. And though Kamish's license is suspended, the Post photographs him getting behind the wheel to go drive to work (and presumably park in a sweet "No Standing" zone in front of the office).

A House Transportation Committee report stated, "Essentially, all of Lower Manhattan is a free parking lot for government vehicles," confirming what we all know: Government vehicles park illegally! But here's the icing: The biggest parking ticket scofflaws are the government. The NYPD ran up $193,000 in unpaid tickets, the FBI had $34,908, and State Department had $28,33 in unpaid violations. An FBI spokeswoman said, "Parking in New York City is a huge challenge. Parking facilities do not exist for the majority of F.B.I. vehicles assigned to the New York division.” Still, the report blames "lax fleet management practices" for allowing government employes to take advantage of the system and create unsafe conditions for others. For more on bad parking practices stemming from government-issued permits, check out Uncivil Servants.

Governor Paterson signed legislation making any assault on traffic enforcement agents a possible felony. The Sun reports that previously, an assault on traffic agent was a misdemeanor (up to one year in jail and $1,000 in fines), but now the felony charge could bring 7-8 years in jail. One traffic agent told NY1, "I came out my vehicle to issue a summons, I started and the motorist came out his car and punched me on my head." Police Commissioner Ray Kelly added, "The message here is clear: If you touch a traffic enforcement agent, you go to jail."

WCBS features one of those completely infuriating stories today that probably led to the origination of the phrase "You can't fight City Hall." It involves NYPD city parking agents willing to issue tickets to vehicles, whether they're legally parked or not. The news report actually videotapes a man receiving a parking ticket from a cop as he is legally parked. When he protests and points to the obvious sign that indicates that he is legally parked, the cop apologizes but says that the ticket is already written and will be dismissed in court.

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a shooting on Clarkson Ave. in Brooklyn, another shooting on Madison Ave. in Manhattan, and a pedestrian fatally struck on Cross Bay Blvd. in Queens.
• 1010 WINS conducted an online poll asking "If a hurricane were to hit NYC, do you think the city would be ready?" 84% of respondents answered "Oh heck no -- look what happened Wednesday."
• Chicago police arrested the four men who allegedly bound and robbed Knicks guard center Eddy Curry in suburban Illinois.
• Because city express bus drivers don't have the authority to add stops on their own and the MTA didn't instruct them to, hundreds of express buses with empty seats bypassed soggy commuters at local stops during Wednesday's storm.
• The two largest individual parking ticket scofflaws in NYC, who combined owe more than $90K, have completely reasonable explanations: it was their ex-wives who did all the illegal parking.
• After decades of being isolated as a traffic island monument, the Columbus Memorial in the middle of Columbus Circle is now experiencing the human wear and tear that the rest of the city endures. $5 million is being budgeted to repair the accumulated and recent damage the monument has suffered.
• An aircraft was reported down northwest of the city near an Orange County airport.
• An opinion piece in the New York Times notes that while recent outrages over violence against animals garnered media attention and resulted in quick arrests, the brutal deaths of illegal immigrants quickly faded into the media-woodwork.

What with Paris Hilton's release earlier this week and the upcoming celebration of American Independence (sorry, Londonist!), we've been thinking a lot about freedom. Freedom to vote, freedom to choose, and most importantly, freedom to blog. Here are a few things we're happy we've been free to blog about this week.

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a bank robbery on East 79th St. in Manhattan, another bank robbery on East 89th St. in Manhattan, and a police scooter accident at Adams and Tillary Sts. in Brooklyn.
• A parking ticket fixer was sentenced to three-to-six years in jail for arranging false-documented excuses to get people out of parking tickets.
• Robert Deniro and Al Pacino are teaming up as detectives tracking a serial killer in a new film. 50 Cent will join them as a helpful drug dealer informant character.
• Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corp. isn't about to cooperate with The New York Times or its China-based correspondent.
• No NYC tryouts for the latest incarnation of American Idol.
• Curbed notes an Upper West Side townhouse that can be yours for just a K-note under a half billion dollars, courtesy of a typo.
• An SUV struck two pedestrians in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, before crashing into a storefront. The female pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene.
• The "limited time only" lobster roll at Cosi gets a Midtown Lunch review: "There’s no way it’s healthy, and if you are not a fan of mayo you will probably hate this sandwich."

No one likes getting a parking ticket, but it's those instances when tickets are handed down unfairly that really make people crazy and determined to beat them. Sanford Young, a lawyer, spent two years and an estimated $10,000 to beat a $65 ticket in Manhattan Supreme Court. From The Post:

Young got the ticket on Nov. 29, 2005, after he parked on First Avenue near East 70th Street to have dinner with a friend. He returned from his $60 dinner to find a $65 ticket.

Continue reading "How Far Would You Go to Beat a Parking Ticket?"

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: A pedestrian struck at 12th Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan, a homicide in Brooklyn, and a water rescue in Forest Park in Queens
• Mathieu Eugene showed NY1 his new apartment and says that he was sleeping there before the election; if that's really true, why didn't he say so earlier and why won't he show NY1 the lease?
• In order to avoid any parking ticket squabbles, the city has suspended Monday alternate side of the street parking in anticipation of snow

Mayor Bloomberg headed to Albany to criticize Governor Spitzer's new budget, accusing him of going beyond nickel and diming the city. Spitzer has proposed cutting over $300 million in municipal aid to the city, and while it doesn't sound like a lot in a time of multi-billion dollar surplus, here's an explanation of the municipal aid program from the NY Times:

Mr. Bloomberg saved his strongest criticism for Mr. Spitzer’s plan to eliminate the city’s share of a state program called Aid and Incentives to Municipalities, which provides the city with $327.9 million in unrestricted aid each year...The city has received the aid since 1946 and sees it as particularly valuable because it is steady from year to year — unlike property tax receipts, the city’s main source of revenue.

Continue reading ""New York City Is The Economic Engine" of NY State"

For the "Too Good to Be True, So It's Just Not True" file: The NY Times reports that 23 year old Daniel Markovitz "told people that he could get their parking fines reduced, saying that he knew someone in the Parking Violations Bureau or that he worked for a Web site that helped adjudicate tickets." Markovitz collected up to $780 from each person and did pay off fines for 53 parking tickets (which totaled $4,700). Except he used stolen credit cards to do so and making a profit of $2,000.

Last night we headed to one of our favorite local bars, Lolita, for a Sunday night, post-CMJ, drink. The bar rotates artwork every month or so and right now it's all New York themed pieces. The Greek coffee cup, the parking ticket, the Metrocard, the subway sign...you get the idea. For some reason, they are all painted on canvas that is meant to resemble a refrigerator door. Example at right.

allowed there. David Bourgeois told the Daily News he paid $205 to get his Mini Cooper out of the pound and was issued a $60 parking ticket: "It's just outrageous. I'm definitely going to fight this." The DOT says they would help with getting the ticket dismissed, and the NYPD said they were "looking into waiving" the tow fee.

Spinners at SGoralnick's Most Well Documented Party Ever.

Thirty years is a long time, and yet for many people not long enough. Today, Sunset Parker reminds us, marks the thirty-year anniversary of the first of the Son of Sam killings, one of the most notorious murder sprees in Gotham's history.

Goes Cube are rock. Their enthusiastic hard and fast interpretation of the genre has been compared to Nirvana, leading New York's rock scene into a much more hopeful future. Their live show will make your brain shake, your body move and your soul scream. Lucky for us, their set translates well in the studio, and they just finished recording their new release, Beckon The Dagger God.

As far as long-standing feuds go, the tiffle between the City and the U.N. over diplomatic immunity for parking tickets is always a good one. Currently the tab for diplomats unpaid parking ticket bill runs to 18 million, not much of which Gotham is likely to see anytime soon. But at least now some clever researchers have put all those tickets to some good use. In a paper [PDF] for the National Bureau for Economic Research, Ray Fisman and Edward Miguel have found that the number of parking tickets that a country's diplos accumulate is a swell way to measure the corruption found in their home countries. From the papers abstract:

Diplomatic immunity means there was essentially zero legal enforcement of diplomatic parking violations, allowing us to examine the role of cultural norms alone. This generates a revealed preference measure of corruption based on real-world behavior for government officials all acting in the same setting. We find tremendous persistence in corruption norms: diplomats from high corruption countries (based on existing survey-based indices) have significantly more parking violations.

It's bad enough when you get a parking ticket, but to get a parking ticket when your car is legally parked? The NYPD investigated a traffic officer who was ticketing legally parked cars in Long Island City, and officer Nivea Cloud resigned after being charged with "falsifying records, official misconduct, and filing false parking tickets." The Post's source says Cloud may have been ticketing the legally parked cars because "it was easier than going out to look for illegal parked cars where she was assigned." Ai. The tickets were voided, but we wonder if the problem only became clear when the drivers complained.

Another interesting thing the Indepedent Budget Office found: If you fight your parking ticket in person, you'll have a better chance of beating it. The IBO says that people who fight parking tickets via the mail are found guilty 32% of the time more than people who fight live. The Post printed the numbers:

According to the study, those who mail in their pleas beat tickets just 40.6 percent of the time, while 38.8 percent are found guilty, 17.8 percent have penalties reduced and 2.8 percent have their base fines reduced.

Continue reading "Fight the Power (of Your Ticket)"

Last night on the Apprentice, Audrey got fired after royally screwing up the creation of a miniature golf course. However, almost an hour before making her tearful exit, the busty real estate agent from Utah gave a speech that will live long in the memories of Apprentice fans everywhere (this is the Gothamist official transcription):

Chris, by no means did I come here for anybody to treat me or to talk to me as though I am a child! I, I am at where I am today because my parents both went to prison! I was left with nothing! My childhood was taken from me- everything was taken from me! I was living out of a car (begins crying). At 17 I had nothing! Nothing at all to my name! Nothing! I am where I'm at today because I have crawled and begged! As a child, girls hated me because I was beautiful! I wanted to scar my face because I was so beautiful! I wanted to be ugly so they wouldn't hate me! I have tried and tried and tried my entire life for people to just to accept me. And by no means is Craig going to sit in the boardroom, or are you going to sit in the boardroom, or John is going to say that I don't pull my weight. I do not fail!