Parking Violation Stickers

My little rant.

Why the hell is it perfectly fine for the city to place a sticker on your window if you are illegally parked for alternate side days?

my wife couldn't make it downstairs yesterday in time because the elevators were not working and she had our 2 month old to bring with her - 5 flights.

i perfectly understand the ticket and accept it, but i do not understand how it's fine for them to put a sticker on my window. these stickers cost money, so for all the money they take in from these tickets a portion (albeit small) goes to buying these stickers. put that money somewhere else. $0.12 a day you can feed a starving kid on Jupiter, right?

i assume their belief is that it makes the violation stronger? well, increase the damn fine then. what if an old person couldn't move the car for some reason (maybe they shouldn't be driving anyway) and now they have to go out there with "warm water and a scraper" (i.e. razor blade). then the little scraping fall into the street, and you try to pick up at least all the big pieces.

bullshit i say, bullshit!

sorry. I totally understand your frustration, but I love those stickers.

I hate those damn stickers. Which is the punishment, the fine or the sticker - shouldn't be both.

In my opinion its vandalism. If I printed up those stickers and stuck them on every cop car or "official" car parked where they shouldn't be (which are quite a few), I'd get arrested for vandalism. I might view it differently if they were easily removed, but it seems as if they stay on your window forever.

** edit because these things piss me off too **

What would happen if you got in a accident because you couldn't see out of the window due to the sticker (which you tried to remove), whose liable then? Just sayin'.....

Niner wrote:
What would happen if you got in a accident because you couldn't see out of the window due to the sticker (which you tried to remove), whose liable then? Just sayin'.....

I think that is why they put them on the rear windows usuallly.

fafner wrote: [quote=Niner]
What would happen if you got in a accident because you couldn't see out of the window due to the sticker (which you tried to remove), whose liable then? Just sayin'.....

I think that is why they put them on the rear windows usuallly.

Yeah, but that could create a pretty nasty blind spot.

Oh, the joys of not owning a car!

I'm not even going to get into all the horrible things about parking violations in his neighborhood (getting towed from a totally unmarked crosswalk in the middle of a block and then having the car not being reported towed for 4 days, thus causing me to assume my car was stolen only to find it and then be charged storage for it on top of the tow and the ticket for a violation and I'm convinced is totally bogus...)

but yes, those stupid stickers suck. I do find some consolation in the fact that they're not always used- it seems to be up to the discretion of the individual traffic cop.

FYI when double parking for street cleaning, keep in mind that a double parking ticket (which also results in a $185 tow) is $115 while a ticket for simply not moving the car is only $45. If you think you might possibly be 2 minutes late moving the car back post-cleaning, just leave it and eat the ticket. Its cheaper and a lot less of a pain in the ass than taking a half day off of work to go to the impound (which is just a blast, lemme tell ya.)

fafner wrote: [quote=Niner]
What would happen if you got in a accident because you couldn't see out of the window due to the sticker (which you tried to remove), whose liable then? Just sayin'.....

I think that is why they put them on the rear windows usuallly.

nope, it was the front passenger window. so this would have also blocked my sideview mirror.

i once got the most ridiculous ticket for parking on Carroll St and 5th St, next to Moutarde. There is a dip in the sidewalk there where apparently there used to be a garage so it was a driveway. well, i got a ticket for blocking a handicapped accessible ramp! it's fifty feet from the end of the block where there is a normal crosswalk ramp. it was also across from a garage on a one way street. just the stupiest ticket ever. so i took pictures and fought it in traffic court. i lost, so i appealed. yes, there is an appellate court. i had to plead my case in front of 3 judges. 2 out of 3 found me guilty, thus i was guilty. i was soooo pissed!

I lthink of all the stickers as badges of honor. I just let 'em pile up til I go to my parent's place in CT and my mother scrapes them off because she's embarrassed that the neighbors might see.

Niner wrote: What would happen if you got in a accident because you couldn't see out of the window due to the sticker (which you tried to remove), whose liable then? Just sayin'.....

Um.

You could always roll yer window down.

Hopefully.

Just sayin'.

daver wrote: [quote=Niner]What would happen if you got in a accident because you couldn't see out of the window due to the sticker (which you tried to remove), whose liable then? Just sayin'.....

Um.

You could always roll yer window down.

Hopefully.

Just sayin'.



Actually that's true, if you could of avoided a dangerous condition by simply rolling your window down and didn't you would be held responsible for any accident attributed to that condition.
Claiming late life retardation is not a defense.

Just bayin'.

Carmen wrote:

FYI when double parking for street cleaning, keep in mind that a double parking ticket (which also results in a $185 tow) is $115 while a ticket for simply not moving the car is only $45. If you think you might possibly be 2 minutes late moving the car back post-cleaning, just leave it and eat the ticket. Its cheaper and a lot less of a pain in the ass than taking a half day off of work to go to the impound (which is just a blast, lemme tell ya.)

Just an FYI: All of NYC is a tow away zone, which means that if a tow truck is out in the area they can tow you for any parking violation they see, even an alternate side violation. They will probably prioritize traffic hazards like double parking, hydrants, etc...but don't be fooled into thinking that you can only be towed for certain violations. Over the years a lot of friends have made that mistake and gone through the same headache as you.

Carmen wrote: FYI when double parking for street cleaning, keep in mind that a double parking ticket (which also results in a $185 tow) is $115 while a ticket for simply not moving the car is only $45. If you think you might possibly be 2 minutes late moving the car back post-cleaning, just leave it and eat the ticket. Its cheaper and a lot less of a pain in the ass than taking a half day off of work to go to the impound (which is just a blast, lemme tell ya.)

Yea, I discovered this recently when I returned to move my car from the double-parked space at 10:31 am (street sweeping ends at 10:30). I saw the traffic cop walking down the block away from my car... ONE MINUTE late. Meanwhile, all of the other cars that were double parked moved back well BEFORE 10:30 and were not ticketed.

In my appeal to the city, I emphasized that, in my mind, violating the no-parking rules by moving your car back 15 min early seemed a more serious violation than double parking. Plus, in my internal rationalization, it seemed that it wasn't right to ticket me at 10:31 if street sweeping ends at 10:30. 10:31 would be the first minute when it would be permitted to move back across the street.

At any rate, I lost and ended up paying the full fine.

I think they are a bit overboard. You are already getting a ticket for $100+, why make you spend hours removing a sticker.

While those stickers are annoying-it hardly takes hours to remove them.

Last time I got one of those stickers on my car, i went to the nearest car wash and they were able to remove it in about 5 minutes or so.

also, just as an FYI, it's not the traffic cops that put those stickers on your car, it is the sanitation people/cops who do. So, you are getting a ticket from one person and a sticker from another-sort of a double whammy

Parking question: If there is a red sign saying NO STOPPING EXCEPT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES 7AM-7PM, and then a blue MUNIMETER sign with the commercial parking rates underneath it, you don't have to pay if you park there after 7pm, right?

To OP:

Did you get BOTH a ticket and a sticker? A few weeks ago, just after alternate side resumed, I watched the cleaner come down my street followed by a sanitation cop. The cop slapped a sticker on an unmoved car and then went on behind the sweeper. I asked why he hadn't given a ticket and he said he had to keep up with the sweeper.
That was the first time I heard that. Seems like I've gotten both at times.

Basically, the city is vandalizing our private property.

Slope4-35Yrs wrote: To OP:

Did you get BOTH a ticket and a sticker? A few weeks ago, just after alternate side resumed, I watched the cleaner come down my street followed by a sanitation cop. The cop slapped a sticker on an unmoved car and then went on behind the sweeper. I asked why he hadn't given a ticket and he said he had to keep up with the sweeper.
That was the first time I heard that. Seems like I've gotten both at times.

yup, got both. like i said, i can understand and live with the ticket, but to put a sticker on my window too is like pouring salt on the wound.

and in case anyone was interested, the stickers go back to 1987: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE0DE1438F930A35752C0A961948260&sec=&spon=

maybe i am wrong,
but,
I have always assumed that the reason they sticker the cars is specifically to annoy the living shit out of people.

IOW - OP's reaction IS the desired result. I'm guessing op will remember that and it will be more of a deterrent than the fine that he might not bother to pay anyway.

Garfunky wrote:
IOW - OP's reaction IS the desired result. I'm guessing op will remember that and it will be more of a deterrent than the fine that he might not bother to pay anyway.

as i stated in the original post, my car was going to be moved by my wife but due to the elevators not working, it was not possible.

who are they kidding anyway? they want/need people to violate these parking regs. it's called income and if they didn't have it they would have to get it from us in other ways. that's another reason why the sticker pisses me off.

LongTimeSloper wrote: So, you are getting a ticket from one person and a sticker from another-sort of a double whammy

If this is true, this is a fittingly ridiculous use of resources. Maybe if they eliminated ONE level of enforcement, they could lighten up on some alt side days.

Subject: Re: Parking Violation Stickers

You aren't supposed to like the stickers. They are supposed to discourage you from not moving your car...perhaps you could move the car the night before instead of leaving it to your wife with a little baby to do it in the morning (and probably double parking).

Subject: Re: Parking Violation Stickers

filmlover44 wrote: You aren't supposed to like the stickers. They are supposed to discourage you from not moving your car...perhaps you could move the car the night before instead of leaving it to your wife with a little baby to do it in the morning (and probably double parking).

i usually do have the car moved the night before, but i came home midnight the night before and circled the hood to no avail, so this was the only option.

Subject: Re: Parking Violation Stickers

metalnyc wrote: i usually do have the car moved the night before, but i came home midnight the night before and circled the hood to no avail, so this was the only option.

Brother, you _always_ have options! Widen the perimeter, circle further, longer. Pay for a 24hr spot somewhere. Get up early and move it in the AM before leaving for work or whatever. Take the car the next day. Etc.

I don't have anyone at home to move the car for me, so I typically circle and circle at night looking for a spot on the correct side until I get too damn tired and say screw it and then just take the car to work the next day, even though I would prefer transit but am just too lazy to take it due to parking. If I see a spot the next morning though, I will grab it quick-like and do the happy dance. Nothing like coming home in the middle of the night and parking a dozen blocks away though. Always great fun.

metalnyc wrote: [quote=Garfunky]
IOW - OP's reaction IS the desired result. I'm guessing op will remember that and it will be more of a deterrent than the fine that he might not bother to pay anyway.

as i stated in the original post, my car was going to be moved by my wife but due to the elevators not working, it was not possible.

who are they kidding anyway? they want/need people to violate these parking regs. it's called income and if they didn't have it they would have to get it from us in other ways. that's another reason why the sticker pisses me off.

I'm sure you meant well.
Bottom line is the scofflaw rate is such that the stickers are probably as much if not more of a deterrent. youre po'd about that sticker, right ?
Next time you think it impossible to move your car,
you gonna remember the fine , or the sticker ?

When you get stuck for 15 minutes on a side street because a truck cant get past the car that wasnt moved,dont biach, just remember that the person who made you late to work found it impossible to walk down their stairs because the elevator wasnt working ,and they too, meant well.:roll:

On a slightly different note...

I got a parking ticket this morning for being parked on 4th Av between Butler and Baltic Streets.

Now despite the sign saying "no parking Wed 9am to 10:30am", anyone who has been following the ASP regulation suspensions knows that 4th Av from St Marks south to 15th St is part of the suspended zone until August 25th.

So can someone explain to me why the traffic cops don't know this and now I have to spend time fighting a ticket I should not have received?

-shaun

this is the map I saw for suspended parking:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/cobble_hill.pdf

it seems like the zone you're talking about has changes coming up re: street cleaning as of 8/25, but isn't part of the suspended zone.

I could be wrong (it reads in a very confusing manner), but that could be why...

sorry. it's a pain.

Thanks - I'm still sticking by my belief that there is a 1 week overlap between suspension in phase 3 area (the map stated above) and restoration in phase 2 area (the one I parked in)

shaunsindelman wrote: Thanks - I'm still sticking by my belief that there is a 1 week overlap between suspension in phase 3 area (the map stated above) and restoration in phase 2 area (the one I parked in)

Yah, you are correct, the ticket should get thrown out. TOo bad about the hassle. Here is a link for you:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pr2008/pr08_027.shtml

Subject: Re: Parking Violation Stickers

metalnyc wrote: My little rant.

Why the hell is it perfectly fine for the city to place a sticker on your window if you are illegally parked for alternate side days?

my wife couldn't make it downstairs yesterday in time because the elevators were not working and she had our 2 month old to bring with her - 5 flights.

i perfectly understand the ticket and accept it, but i do not understand how it's fine for them to put a sticker on my window. these stickers cost money, so for all the money they take in from these tickets a portion (albeit small) goes to buying these stickers. put that money somewhere else. $0.12 a day you can feed a starving kid on Jupiter, right?

i assume their belief is that it makes the violation stronger? well, increase the damn fine then. what if an old person couldn't move the car for some reason (maybe they shouldn't be driving anyway) and now they have to go out there with "warm water and a scraper" (i.e. razor blade). then the little scraping fall into the street, and you try to pick up at least all the big pieces.

bullshit i say, bullshit!

I believe, and i may be wrong, that the sticker is giving if you haven't moved your car. This is to deter people from leaving their cars and eating the ticket, particularly in the summer months when people generally go away. It can lead to terrible street congestion - we've all seen it. Not every double parker knows "the rules" about not parking directly opposite a car that hasn't been moved.

As for towing, you can get towed on either the double parking side, or the no parking side. It depends on which is easier for them to get to. There are several towing companies that scour the area looking for tows. The one on Atlantic and Henry are like vultures.

As for the poster who said they weren't informed of the tow, they don't have to inform you. It is up to the car owner to keep track of the car.

Yes, they want more money. And yes, this inconvenience is one that those of us - myself included - put up with the not garage the car. You pay one way or the other.

and OP, you have all our sympathies about the broken elevator, wife and baby, but if I was behind the UPS truck that couldn't pass because your car didn't get moved, I'd be pissed. Good intentions don't get you out of a ticket.

And if i was your wife, I'd be peeved at you.