How Truck Companies Can Beat NYC Parking Tickets

How A Truck Company Can Beat A NYC Parking Ticket

Lawrence Berezin of New York Parking Ticket.com recently posted a great blog entry about the myriad of ways that commercial vehicles can beat NYC parking tickets. I was amazed how commercial vehicles have so many more ways of beating a parking ticket than private cars. Below is an excerpt from this article.

Code 16: Truck Loading/Unloading: Standing or parking where standing is prohibited by sign, street marking or; traffic control device

Code 20: General No Parking: No parking where parking is prohibited by sign, street marking or traffic control device

Code 21: Street Cleaning: No parking where parking is prohibited by sign, street marking or traffic control device

Code 34: Expired Meter– parking in a metered space in which the meter is operational, and the meter indicates the time has expired

Code 46: Double Parking: Standing or parking on the roadway side of a vehicle stopped, standing or parked at the curb; in other words, “double parking”. A person may; however, stand a Commercial vehicle alongside a vehicle parked at the curb at such locations and during such hours that stopping, standing and parking is not prohibited when expeditiously making picjups, deliveries or service calls, provicded that there is no unoccupied parking space or designated loading zone on either side of the street within 100 feet. “Double parking” any type of vehicle is not; however, permitted in Midtown Manhattan (the area from 14th Street to 60th Street, betwee First Avenue and Eighth Avenue inclusive). Except where otherwise restricted, midtown double parking is prohibited between 7 am and 7 pm daily except Sundays. (See Code 47).

To read the full article or for help fighting any New York City parking ticket visit: http://www.newyorkparkingticket.com/Blog/

Read Full Post »

New York Traffic Laws Help Make Its Residents The Least Free In The Nation

New York  is the most restrictive state in the country.  That is, according to an index of personal and economic freedom recently released by the Mercatus Center of George Mason University.  The goal of this project was to measure how restrictive is each state from  an individual rights perspective.

Not unsurprising, various vehicle and traffic laws were a significant part of the equation including speed surveillance cameras, red light cameras, seat belt laws, cell phone laws, motorcycle helmet laws, bicycle helmet laws, sobriety check points and laws requiring residents to maintain auto insurance.  Other non-traffic related factors included gun control laws, alcohol sale restrictions, taxes on beer, wine and spirits, asset forfeiture laws and campaign finance laws.  Dead last was New York State.

Given that Albany uses DMV rules and regulations to “tax” its residents, it is not surprising that the many DMV fees, surcharges, fines and laws have resulted in New Yorkers being the least free in the nation.  By the way, the “freest” state is New Hampshire.  The New Hampshire politicians apparently taken to heart the state’s motto …. “Live Free Or Die”.

Read Full Post »

Sales Taxes Coming To Livery Cabs, Limousines And Black Cars

Sales Taxes Being Imposed Upon Livery Cabs, Limousines and Black Cars

For my regular readers, you know it is a common theme for me to discuss (actually rant about) the myriad of ways that New York State taxes its motorist through vehicle and traffic laws. The ingenuity and variety by which this is accomplished is astounding.

Well here we go again. The New York Legislature is going to impose a sales tax (8.375% in New York City) upon livery car, black car and limousine trips. The new tax is expected to generate over $50 million for Albany’s and NYC’s coffers. There are about 2,700 TLC- licensed livery cards, 8,600 black cars and 5,200 limousines in New York City.

It is also expected to most hurt people living in some of New York’s poorest neighborhoods who rely on livery vehicles to get to the super market and other places.

Will gouging of New Yorkers ever end? We are already one of the most taxed people in the country and we certainly do not get back what we put in.

Read Full Post »

New York Are The Least Educated Drivers In The Country?

Toll Plaza Collision (back)

Toll Plaza Collision (front)

For off, I just love theses two toll plaza photos. Great images. I’ve looked at them enough times that I was able to identify unequivocal clues as to which driver entered first and which one couldn’t wait his turn. If you figure out which one was first and can back it up, write up a comment and I will let you know if you are right. A prize for the first one to get it right without guessing.

Anyway, last post, I reported that New Yorkers are the angriest drivers in the country. Well, another report indicates that they are also the least educated from a driver safety point-of-view. According to the results of a national driver test recently conducted by GMAC Insurance. The test measures how much participants know about safe driving and was given to more than 5,000 drivers throughout the United States and the District of Columbia.

Anyway, New York finished dead last. By the way, in 2008, New York finished third to last last. The smartest drivers are from Idaho according to test results.

GMAC said about the results that out of roughly 41 million drivers on the road, 20% “would not pass a written drivers test exam if taken today” with most having trouble with what to do about an amber light and how far is a safe distance to trail another vehicle. Older drivers scored higher than younger drivers with the most age group category being adults 18 to 24 years old.

If you want to take the test, go to http://nationaldriverstest.com/

National Driver Test

To view results from the last 3 years, visit http://nationaldriverstest.com/national-drivers-test/state-ranking.php

Read Full Post »

New York Drivers Are The Angriest In The Country

Road Rage

New York has the most dis-courteous and aggressive drivers in the country according to the recently-released AutoVantage Road Rage Survey. Voters in 25 major U.S. major cities gave New Yorkers the dubious distinction of being the most hot-tempered and aggressive. Factors counted in the study included New York’s propensity to tailgate, speed, beep their horns, cut others off, run red lights, use obscene gestures and lose their tempers.

Behind New York were Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Atlanta and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Miami had been ranked the worst such city for the last 3 years but this year is ranked seventh. Portland, Cleveland, Baltimore, Sacramento and Pittsburgh were voted as having the most polite and courteous drivers.

Motorists objected to others using a cell phone, with 84 percent citing it as the activity most likely to induce road rage. Speeding, following too closing, eating drinking and texting were also substantial reasons resulting in road rage episodes.

Read Full Post »

Correlation Between Traffic Tickets And Accident Rates Shown

Motorist Backs Up Onto Police Car

Enhanced traffic enforcement leads to less accidents, and vice-a-versa. These were the conclusions of a 2008 study written by Towson University Economics Professor Michael Makowsky and George Mason University professor Thomas Stratmann,

The professors studied Massachusetts traffic data to prove that heavy traffic enforcement results in safer roadways. Surprisingly, it is one of the few such studies. Between 2001 and 2003, Massachusetts Police Officers wrote 619,104 traffic tickets including 38 percent for speeding, 13 percent for seat belt violations, and 12 percent for disobeying stop signs. Using a complex formula, the study found that for each increase of 100 tickets issued there were 12% less accidents. The study also found safety is more dependent on traffic law enforcement than on the actual laws themselves. That is, less accidents were occur by heavy enforcement than by lowering the speed limit.

From a traffic law perspective, this study justifies random police check points, and heavy enforcement. However, more importantly, it does not support the notion that raising traffic ticket fines or making the traffic laws is the best way to make roads safer. Yet I am sure you won’t hear any politicians referring to this conclusion when they decide for the ump-teenth time to raise fines, surcharges or create new traffic fees.

Read Full Post »

Emergency Notification Service (aka Notify NYC) Goes City-Wide

New York City will be expanding its emergency email and text message alert system. Currently piloted in just 4 New York City neighborhoods, as of last week, it is now a City-wide program. The system pushes warnings about weather, street closings, building collapses and other significant events.

I have been using it for almost 6 months and have to say its a good service. In our post 9-11 society, I like getting this type of info pushed to me. I feel like it better arms me with important information and they do not inundate you with messages.

To sign up, visit

Read Full Post »

Pretty Good Traffic Joke

The below joke was emailed to me by one of my lead-footed, repeat customers. I don’t know how wrote it but would be glad to give credit is whoever did. Anyway, I hear a lot of traffic ticket jokes and this one is better than most.

A police officer stops a driver for running a red light.

The guy is a real jerk and comes running back to the officer demanding to know why he is being harassed by the Gestapo!

The officer calmly tells him of the red light violation.

The “Motorist” instantly goes on a tirade, questioning the officer’s ancestry, sexual orientation, etc., in rather explicit terms.

The tirade goes on without the officer saying anything.

When he gets done with writing the ticket he puts an “AH” in the lower right corner of the narrative portion of the ticket.

He then hands it to the “Violator” for his signature.

The guy signs the ticket angrily, and when presented with his copy points to the “AH” and demands to know what it stands for.

The Officer says, “That’s so when we go to court, I’ll remember that you’re an Asshole!”

Two months later they’re in court.

The “Violator” has such a bad driving record he is about to lose his license and has hired a lawyer to represent him. (the usual bullshit).

On the stand the officer testifies to seeing the man run the red light.

Under cross examination the defense attorney asks:

“Officer is this a reasonable facsimile of the ticket you issued my client?”

Officer responds, “Yes sir, that is the defendants copy, his signature and mine, same number at the top.

Lawyer: “Officer, is there any particular marking or notation on this ticket you don’t normally make?”

Officer: “Yes sir, in the lower right corner of the narrative there is an “AH,” underlined.”

Lawyer: “What does the “AH” stand for, officer?”

Officer: “Aggressive and Hostile Sir.”

Lawyer: “Aggressive and Hostile?”

Officer: “Yes Sir.”

Lawyer: “Officer, Are you sure it doesn’t stand for Asshole?”

Officer: “Well Sir, You know your client better than I do!”

CASE CLOSED!

Read Full Post »

New York Suspension Termination Fee To Double!!

Effective July 6, 2009, the New York Department Of Motor Vehicles will be charging $70 to lift a suspension from a motorist’s license. That’s double the current $35 suspension termination fee (STF).

It’s particularly outrageous given that the STF (which is imposed upon a motorist who answers a summons late or pays a summons late), is in addition to the fine and surcharge for this ticket. You pay what you owe (albeit belatedly) and they charge you even more money!

The NY Legislature and DMV continue its trend of exorbitantly taxing New York drivers.

Read Full Post »

More Red Light Cameras Coming

Continuing its pattern of taxing motorists, the Legislature approved the installation of 50 more cameras to catch motorists disobeying red lights.  New York City already has 100 such cameras and they accounted for $26 million in fines between July 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009.  The extra cameras should generated another $6 million in revenue for the City.

The New York Legislature is also expected to approve red light cameras for Yonkers, Buffalo, Rochester and Suffolk and Counties.  As reported last month, red light cameras were already approved for Nassau County. Previously, New York City was the only place where such devices were installed.

By the way, if anyone suggests that red light cameras are installed primarily to enhance traffic safety, listen to what Assemblyman David Gantt, the Transportation Committee Chairman, who previously blocked bills expanding the use of red light camera had to say.  “People were coming to me and saying ‘We really need [money]'”.

Read Full Post »