Friday, March 12, 2010

Saving parking spaces is illegal

From the Daily News:

To find any convenient parking spot in Middle Village would be welcome; a spot near one's home ideal.

But some locals on streets off busy Eliot Ave. are going to unusual - and illegal - lengths to guarantee themselves spots using traffic cones, garbage cans and even Christmas decorations.

"It's been happening for years. If it's a not a traffic cone, it's a garbage pail," said Ann, 59, a resident of 62nd St., who declined to give her last name. "They think that because it's in front of their homes, it's their spot."

This tactic to ward off outside motorists is just one symptom of pervasive and chronic parking woes all over the borough being chronicled by Queens News in the Queens Parking Crunch series.

Locals in Middle Village who save spots will often take a traffic cone from the trunks of their cars and then place it near the curb, said Karen Sommese, 52, who has lived on 62nd St. for 15 years.

On 77th St., some residents use cones to save spots even while their driveways are empty, said a resident of the block.

People who ignore the cones and garbage cans may find a nasty surprise - slashed tires or broken side mirrors, locals said.

Using trash cans to save spots is illegal and can earn you a $100 fine, city officials said. Using cones to reserve parking spots on a public street is also illegal, a Transportation Department spokesman said.

"We're going to monitor the situation," said Matthew LiPani, a spokesman for the city Sanitation Department, after inquiries from Queens News.

Sanitation cops visited a home on 62nd St. last Thursday notorious among neighbors for using a trash can as a spot saver. The homeowner was slapped with a "failure to store" citation, LiPani said.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

So typical of middle village mentality

so you want to illegally rent out your basement/attic and then wonder why there is no parking on your street?

can't have your cake and eat it too

if i parked in one of these "reserved" spaces and someone damaged my car i would throw a molotov cocktail thru their front window

Anonymous said...

"We're going to monitor the situation," said Matthew LiPani, a spokesman for the city Sanitation Department, after inquiries from Queens News.

Yeah right, where is the police - they have been overlooking this stuff for years. The cones reserving a spot has caused more animosity than anything else and could cause folks to get into deadly situations.

Anonymous said...

people are slaves to their cars - idiots.

Anonymous said...

I got a problem like that with a guy in Glendale.
He tried to say something to me because he dug out the spot in front of his house after the last snow storm. When he left the spot for whatever reason, I parked there.
When I went back to my car he wanted to have a conversation with me. He said that I should "give him my cell number so the next time he digs out a spot he can call me so I can park there".

Lets just say that he wont be bothering anyone about the parking space in front of his house anymore.

Deke DaSilva said...

Saving parking spaces is illegal

News flash! This just in!!

Illegal immigration is.....illegal!

Anonymous said...

Yeah right, where is the police - they have been overlooking this stuff for years. The cones reserving a spot has caused more animosity than anything else and could cause folks to get into deadly situations.
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Excuse me, but isn't this the same blog where people constantly complain about how out-of-control and overzealous the cops are with writing summonses? Today you want them to enforce the law, tomorrow you people will be ranting about how every summons is bogus, and only written to fill a quota. I personally would love to see this issue addressed, but if anyone here gets caught and summonsed for this, then please don't come crying here, blaming the cop.

Anonymous said...

Yeah right, where is the police - they have been overlooking this stuff for years. The cones reserving a spot has caused more animosity than anything else and could cause folks to get into deadly situations.
-----------------------------------
Excuse me, but isn't this the same blog where people constantly complain about how out-of-control and overzealous the cops are with writing summonses? Today you want them to enforce the law, tomorrow you people will be ranting about how every summons is bogus, and only written to fill a quota. I personally would love to see this issue addressed, but if anyone here gets caught and summonsed for this, then please don't come crying here, blaming the cop.

Anonymous said...

When I went back to my car he wanted to have a conversation with me. He said that I should "give him my cell number so the next time he digs out a spot he can call me so I can park there".
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Next time tell him to put the snow back into the spot after he digs the car out if he doesn't want someone else to park there. If you didn't take the spot, I guarantee that someone else would have in a New York minute.

Queens Crapper said...

"Excuse me, but isn't this the same blog where people constantly complain about how out-of-control and overzealous the cops are with writing summonses? Today you want them to enforce the law, tomorrow you people will be ranting about how every summons is bogus, and only written to fill a quota. I personally would love to see this issue addressed, but if anyone here gets caught and summonsed for this, then please don't come crying here, blaming the cop."

No, we complain about summonses that are undeserved. Personally, I would love to see more summonses for this offense, and I would like to see more cop cars towed when they park next to hydrants or elsewhere where they aren't supposed to park. If they want to be zealous, they can start with themselves.

Anonymous said...

And the reason their driveways are empty? So that their illegal tenants can gain access to the back of the house via the driveway to get to their illegal apartments. I know this because it's done on my street. Perhaps someone should send this article to the DOB.

Anonymous said...

YEARS ago, a friend lived in a 2 family in College Point, and the downstairs neighbor kept putting the garbage can in front of the house to 'save the spot', and would get really pissed if my friend moved the can

One day, just before he moved away, my friend got his revenge. He waited till the neighbor went out, and used a big hammer drill to install a bunch of concrete anchors into the street, then punched some threaded rod through the garbage can, and threaded them into the anchors, and filled the can with concrete.

I should really go check to see if the can is still there 20 years or so later

Anonymous said...

No, we complain about summonses that are undeserved
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And who determines what summonses are "undeserved"? Would it be the "undeserving" motorist who got the summons?

Queens Crapper said...

Well let's see, we have heard about the traffic agents boxing in motorists dropping off passengers at bus stops (which is legal) with their cars so they can write summonses for no standing, writing tickets before the meters were expired or while the motorist was at the machine buying the ticket, writing tickets for alternate sides when it wasn't in effect and for a really good laugh watch any of John Deutzman's reports.

faster340 said...

"he dug out the spot in front of his house after the last snow storm. When he left the spot for whatever reason, I parked there."

I try to follow neighborly courtesy... If my neighbor digs out his car in front of his house I don't park there and vice versa. Most people on my block follow this unwritten courtesy...

Anonymous said...

The italian restaurant on Metro and 71st road blocks the spot in front with 2 cone and a valet parking signs.Does the the newly promoted commanding officer of the 112 eat there?

Anonymous said...

I live in Maspeth and the parking here is just as bad. We have 2 houses on the street owned by the same family, each with 3 cars and neither house will use their driveway or garage for whatever reason. All they do is jockey cars around so no one else has a chance to grab one. This is a street with semi-attached houses with a shared driveway on each side so there's only room for one car in front of the house. If you can't use your driveway or garage maybe you shouldn't have bought a house here.

Anonymous said...

Does the the newly promoted commanding officer of the 112 eat there?
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No he doesn't.

Anonymous said...

I try to follow neighborly courtesy... If my neighbor digs out his car in front of his house I don't park there and vice versa. Most people on my block follow this unwritten courtesy...
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Well then, someone from another area will park there.

Anonymous said...

Well let's see, we have heard about the traffic agents boxing in motorists dropping off passengers at bus stops (which is legal) with their cars so they can write summonses for no standing, writing tickets before the meters were expired or while the motorist was at the machine buying the ticket, writing tickets for alternate sides when it wasn't in effect and for a really good laugh watch any of John Deutzman's reports.
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I am well aware of all those incidents, and I applaud whenever the summonsing officer (usually a traffic agent, NOT a police officer) gets caught. But I am also aware of countless other incidents of people crying foul and harassment when they get a well-deserved summons.

Anonymous said...

People need to understand that you don't own the spot in front of your house. The street belongs to the city. Because of overdevelopment, what was once a one-family house is now two 2-family houses. There is nowhere to park at night. I see people park by my house and then proceed to walk down the hill to calamus avenue. It's a terrible situation, but the saving spots with garbage cans nonsense has to stop. The city needs money. Go after these people and issue them tickets. Get the Dept of Buildings in on this. There are a lot of illegal apartments out there. The owners don't park in the driveways because the tenants can't get to their illegal apartments. This sounds like a ticketing bonanza for the city.

panzer65 said...

The moron across the street from me thinks the street in front of his house is his also...albeit he double parked next to me until I confronted him..next time the police will be called.

Anonymous said...

In Sunnyside they found a legal way of reserving parking spots: park the car in the middle of 2 parking spots. Then, when the friend/neighbor gets home they come out to move the car a few feet and free one of the spots. Along each block you'll find at least a couple of cars parked this way.

cherokeesista said...

Illegal, really the Shree Swaminaryan Mandir a Hindu Temple on Bowne St in Flushing does it all the time and the 109th allows them to:( We don't want to upset the Hindus now do we:( They take every spot on the street and then fill up their parking lots,and always place cones or have a guard stand in a parking spot so a resident can't park:( it gets better They LOVE TO PARK ON THE SIDEWALKS:)

Anonymous said...

Does the the newly promoted commanding officer of the 112 eat there?
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No, He prefers soul food

Anonymous said...

A fat eye-talian prefers soul food?

panzer65 said...

Curried Goat ala Luigi.

Anonymous said...

The street belongs to the city, not the homeowner; anyone who believes that because they own a home they should have a spot, needs to buy a house with a garage or move out of the city.

Anonymous said...

What about the people who own more cars than they have family members? They drive me crazy!

Anonymous said...

faster340 said...
"he dug out the spot in front of his house after the last snow storm. When he left the spot for whatever reason, I parked there."

I try to follow neighborly courtesy... If my neighbor digs out his car in front of his house I don't park there and vice versa. Most people on my block follow this unwritten courtesy...

You do not own your parking spot and by your neighbors not parking there you are right, it is a "courtesy". If I need to park on your block and I park in "Your" so called "Spot" then I dare you to touch my car or even say something to me. I dare you, you can even bring your negihbors.

Anonymous said...

See that picture above? see that barricade placed on the street? its constantly being put there by the guy who lives directly in front of that house, he doesn't even own a car, he does this because apparently thinks that street is his property too.Let me tell you something else about this guy, hes a racist and an alcoholic drug addicted psycho,he comes out at all hours of the day and night yelling obscenities at peaceful hard working people he doesn't like. Police have been called to that area many times because of his disorderly conduct.He terrorizes the neighborhood keying cars and vandalizing the property of anyone he suspects of being ethnic. What hes doing can be considered a hate crime and should be taken seriously because who knows how far this lunatic will go.It seems like Police wont act until its too late and an altercation escalates.Meanwhile all of us residents have to put up with this maniac.

Anonymous said...

There is a retired cop on 79th Pl in Glendale just off myrtle ave. he has been doing the car jockeying thing for years he takes up two spots and then moves back to allow his wife to park when she comes home a real idiot that spends all day and night complaining about the way people park to justify his own selfish ways.

Anonymous said...

I have an Section 8 tenant living in a house next door to me she has two illegal tenants renting her basement, there are three vehicles illegally parking in front of a two party driveway as if walking a short distance is somehow harmful, there have been times when my garbage was not picked up because of them doing so so do not believe the police, sanitation or anyone else is going to do any thing I have to carry my groceries from down the block as a result of this all it does is create problems and no one does anything. After all how could someone on welfare be renting to anyone where are the so called inspectors that are supposed to check American values are going out the window