Hoverboards not legal

From the Daily News:

An NYPD spokeswoman told the Daily News that according to sections 401-a and 401-b under New York State Law’s Article 14, NY Vehicle and Traffic Law, hoverboards are prohibited since they are considered motor vehicles that cannot be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

If someone were to get caught riding a hoverboard in the street, highway, parking lot or even sidewalk, they could potentially face a fine of up to $200. So just to be on the safe side, it's better to keep using hoverboards at the park and at home — or the office if your boss is cool with it.

Going after parking scofflaws? Try developers, too.

From the Daily News:

When deadbeats refuse to pay their parking tickets, towing and booting aren't enough, city officials say.

Now they're going after vehicle registrations.

"When you don't pay, we're going to come after you as hard as we possibly can," said Finance Commissioner David Frankel. "We've started looking at every way that we have to collect money from people who are putting the screws to the people who do pay."

The city sent warning letters in March to 13,000 motorists who had racked up five or more unpaid parking tickets over any 12-month period in the last eight years.

The deadbeats - who collectively owed the city $17 million for 130,000 tickets - were told they'd lose their registrations if they refuse to pay up.

That could mean facing misdemeanor charges that carry hefty fines or jail time if they're caught driving without a registration.

Some scofflaws promptly paid up, pouring a quick infusion of $1.6 million into the cash-strapped city's coffers to pay off 15,000 tickets.

Those who didn't respond within 30 days were turned over to the state's Department of Motor Vehicles for registration suspension.

I don't have a problem with this. However, why the crackdown on motorists and not on developers? How many of them have tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid fines? Stop issuing permits to them and pull the ones that have already been issued. Watch how quickly they would pay off their fines. That would rake in a hell of a lot more revenue than 15,000 parking tickets.

NYS DMV workers willing to sell IDs to terrorists

2 NY DMV workers charged in ID theft ring: feds
BRUCE GOLDING, NY Post

Two New York State DMV workers earned more than $1 million issuing driver's licenses with stolen identities to convicted felons -- including a sex offender, federal authorities announced today.

The US Attorney's office in Manhattan announced the arrest of the two employees and four others involved in the scam.

"The integrity of any security system, no matter how elaborate or expensive, is only as good as the integrity of the people who carry it out," Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara.

"Human integrity is every bit as important as cutting edge technology. And in these times, more than ever before, we cannot afford to have any weak links in our security chain."

An undercover officer investigating the ring got an ID after claiming to be on the feds' no-fly list who wanted to travel to Pakistan.

NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly added, "Identity fraud puts the public seriously at risk where it can easily be used to help everyone from con artists to terrorists. As recent events attest, New York remains on the top of the terrorist target list."

People are also apparently selling their dead kids' IDs to potential terrorists.

NYC drivers hit hard by fees

NYC METRO RESIDENTS TO PAY HIGHER DMV FEES
ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK -- New York metropolitan area drivers are facing steep hikes in driver's license and vehicle registration fees as part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's bailout earlier this year.

The Department of Motor Vehicle's higher fees went into effect on Tuesday.

The standard driver's license fee has jumped from $50 to $64.50 statewide, but residents of New York City and surrounding counties served by the MTA must now pay an extra $16 surcharge, for a total of $80.50.

Registration fees for a typical passenger vehicle jumped from $44 to $55. Metro drivers, though, must fork over an extra $50 surcharge, for a total of $105.

The fee hikes were approved by the legislature in May to help the MTA close a $1.2 billion shortfall.

Since the City doesn't pony up the money it's supposed to to support the MTA, the burden falls on the individual.