From the NY Post:A Manhattan man had to pay $280 when a city crew, without warning, uprooted a diplomat-parking-only sign and moved it 15 feet -- suddenly making his Mitsubishi's spot illegal.
Shavit Mekeiten had carefully studied an alternate-side parking sign before pulling into a spot on East 41st Street near Second Avenue at 3:30 a.m. Thursday and determined his car could stay where it was until Friday morning.
But six hours later, a two-man crew from the Department of Transportation, apparently ordered to create an extra spot for the New Zealand Consulate, dug out the diplomats-only sign that had been behind Mekeiten's car and moved it right in front of it.
Prowling tow-truck drivers -- under intense NYPD pressure to hook four cars per shift or get hit with graveyard hours or less overtime -- quickly snagged the car, blowing off protests from four outraged witnesses.
But hey - it was Bloomie to the rescue!
17 comments:
I had the exact same thing happen to me. I parked my car in a spot where there was no alternate side of the street, left it there because I was adjusting to a new medication that caused drowsiness and I did not want an accident, and found two tickets on the car.
The DOT put a no parking sign in a spot I had used for a decade.
Funny, for a city that has all but walked away from quality of life things (take a look at signs advertising immigration assistance on light poles, or graffiti, or building inspections, or street cleanliness, or ...) that there is an absolute mania on parking violations.
Odd, don't you think?
My hrear goes out to this guy but this is one of those situations where you just can't win.
it reminds me of the guy who spent thousands to fight a bogus ticket that claimed that he parked at a hydrant where one didn't exist.
Sadly,when it comes to dealing with the bureaucratic machine, you're better off cutting your losses and taking the high road rather than looking for satisfaction.
face it, it's becoming us against them.
You shouldn't leave your car in one spot for more than 24 hours. Why do NY'ers expect free parking?
He didn't leave his car in one spot for more than 24 hours. He left it overnight and that's when this happened. As for New Yorkers "expecting" free parking, parking is free in most of the 5 boroughs.
3:30 am to 9:30am the next day = 31 hours. Am I mis-reading the article? "All's" I'm saying is that car owners shouldn't leave a car parked - regardless of the alternate side of the street situation - in one spot for more than 24 hours - or expect some thing stupid to happenen - whether it's an annoying ticket or worse - vandalism or theft. Contrary to popular opinion, you don't have a "right" to park on city streets ad infinitum.
What would be the difference if he parked there at 3:30am on Aug 6 or 7? The sign was still changed at 9:30am on the 7th when his car was there. Who cares if it was there for more than 24 hours? It would have been legal had they not changed the sign. Many people park near home and take transit to work and use their cars in the evening to run errands. I guess you'd rather they drove to work instead?
People complain about stupid things.
"People complain about stupid things."
Yes, they do. But I'm not complainging. I'm cautioning people that they can avoid this mess but not leaving their cars for an extended period of time in anyone spot.
"I guess you'd rather they drove to work instead?"
I don't care what they do. in fact, yes, i wis h mor epopel would drive and get off the damned subway so i get a seat! ;)
Perhaps. But if someone has just been started on a medicine that lowers mental alertness, would you like them driving on the street while they are getting used to the medicine?
The good news no ticket. The bad news, dead driver, neighbor or other innocent party.
Everyone is supposed to watch ten ways so the voracious hand of government does not pick our pockets. Perhaps we should bring back the concept of government SERVICE.
"Everyone is supposed to watch ten ways so the voracious hand of government does not pick our pockets. Perhaps we should bring back the concept of government SERVICE."
I don't know about everyone, but that's good advice from you to me. However, I'm not sure that allowing me to park my privately owned car on a public street for X hours or x days is the kind of service government ought to provide. Public schools, parks, police, fire, sanitation, etc. yes. And if you're gonna be on meds for an extended period of time you'll need to consider whether or not you should keep a car in NYC. Unless you want to spring for parking out of your own pocket.
You seem to think the issue here is about whether or not one has the "right" to park one's car on the street for a prolonged period of time. The issue here is that the motorist was parked LEGALLY until the DOT decided to move the sign without warning and he suffered as a consequence. Your lame points make me think you're just a car-hating troll.
Hey how about they decide to remove a bike rack that your bike is chained to and impound your bike as well. How would you like that? And how dare you take up sidewalk space all day with that thing anyway.
"You shouldn't leave your car in one spot for more than 24 hours. Why do NY'ers expect free parking?"
Oh boy. If the signs say you can do it, then why would a person NOT expect to be able to do it? Most people don't leave their cars parked legally expecting them to change the signs the next morning and have their cars get towed.
You seem to think the issue here is about whether or not one has the "right" to park one's car on the street for a prolonged period of time.
No, I don't, but some people do think that.
The issue here is that the motorist was parked LEGALLY until the DOT decided to move the sign without warning and he suffered as a consequence.
I understand the issue, thank you.
"Your lame points make me think you're just a car-hating troll."
No, I've owned and operated a car in NYC for at least 23 years now, and can sympathize with all the other car owners. Now please stop with the name-calling.
My point, again, is simple: move your car as often as you can, because it's your personal property and you should keep an eye on it. And yes, I do think the city shouldn't go around moving signs without warning. Are you happy now?
Oh I get it, its Blumturd's war on cars. You see, if we cut down on them, we can have more people in the 5 boros.
You get the clueless kids thinking they can bike to work (wait till the first snow!), and the 3rd world peasants that think nothing of trumping along the road side, and whompa, a population that doesn't need a car.
By the way, I did eventually give up my car after I decided that I was not getting enough use out of it for all the expense and inconvenience.
Now everyd ay the car insurance companies are sending me quotes trying to get my business. And Obama has started "Cash for Clunkers." Could it be that some people actually owe their livings to those terrible car owners? Hmmm...
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