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June 27, 2007

Can Construction Workers Park Where They Want?

This issue is more up the alley of our friends at Streets Blog but we'll throw it out there anyway. What's the legal status of construction workers parking their cars on the sidewalk while they perform work on the city's streets? We'd be pretty surprised if it were okay, but the cop in this picture of Flushing Avenue certainly doesn't have a problem with it.

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yes they can and so too can
* cops (private cars too)
* detectives (private cars too)
* police administration (private cars too)
* fire fighters
* doctors "on call" (does that even happen anymore?)
* school administrators
* parks authority workers
* council members
* sanitation inspectors
* nypd traffic

and pretty much everyone in the public sector. At least, that is my observation from inspecting the ratty cards on the dashboards of cars all over the place that are parked illegally.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 27, 2007 10:34 AM

don't forget 'clergy'.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 27, 2007 10:37 AM

I have a problem with all above, but last week, there was a film shooting 2 blocks from my office, and I couldn't park on my block, cause all the workers for the production company had to park there.
Come ON!! why do I have to look for a parking spot 30 minutes each day, while they get to park wherever they want with special treatment?
What I did was, I put a orange cone on the roof of my car, just like those workers did, but when I came back, one of the workers started cursing and screaming on me, I think he still is there...
I can maybe understand not to park where the film is shooting, but to put on no parking signs so that the workers can park there? No way!!

Posted by: mentch at June 27, 2007 10:50 AM

I agree with mentch - why do film workers get parking while those paying the r/e taxes don't? Its outrageous.

Posted by: films - ? at June 27, 2007 11:09 AM

They are parking in spaces that don't exist or otherwise unavailable to anyone. would you rather them take up spots on the street from you. This does not apply to the filming spots though. The least the film crews could do is use local caterers to help the economy.

Posted by: Lou at June 27, 2007 11:10 AM

hey kids you're not in Kansas anymore!
this has been going on for as long as I can remember, and it's not such a big deal.

Posted by: bren at June 27, 2007 11:53 AM

thanks bren, unfortunately they are working hard to make nyc into kansas, and unfortunately they are some what sucessful

Posted by: hAT3R at June 27, 2007 12:00 PM

Last week I saw the police ticket and tow three cars parked on a sidewalk. And the cars were owned by construction workers at a nearby job site.
So the police will do it, if the winds are in the right direction.

Posted by: none at June 27, 2007 12:15 PM

The city does not want you to own or drive a car.
It is basic Poitics that goes back to the Bronze Age, certainly to the Roman Empire.
Rulers want their peasants barefoot and totally dependent on their largesse.
You also do not want the peasants creating too much traffic because it can really slow down your entourage.
everyone from the NY Times editorial board to the Brooiklyn Heights Association wants the peasants to lose their cars. I think they miss the good ol'days when only the very rich could afford their Packers and their Lincolns. Everybody else took the bus, or better yet, stayed home.

Posted by: auto-Matt at June 27, 2007 12:40 PM

It's amazing how many people must have grown up without ever having to be in the slighted way inconvenienced by anything. I'm sure if the sun is beating down on you too hard, you tell it to stop.

Film companies bring a lot of money to the city. Maybe that money doesn't go directly into your pocket, but it is there none the less, and is a valuable industry in a city that is losing industries by the day. They are there for a few days, get over it.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 27, 2007 12:53 PM

Looking for parking in the city is part and parcel of owning a car in the city. Whether film crews are taking "your" spot or other people who commute to work in the city, its pretty much unfair to blame a commuter for driving to work.

Posted by: virgochick at June 27, 2007 1:32 PM

Bullsh*t re doctors - I've gotten plenty of tickets - just like everyone else in the hood.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 27, 2007 1:33 PM

Posted by: virgochick at June 27, 2007 1:39 PM

Ha, ha, Auto-Matt. Hilarious and true. You left out one thing: rulers want their peasants barefoot, dependent, AND firmly deluded by the bullshit known as christianity, judaism, islam, or whatever particular god-fantasy applies to the country in question. That's how you keep the meek quiet and satisfied: convince them they inherit the earth (after they die, of course). Good one! But I digress...

Posted by: chilllllll at June 27, 2007 1:41 PM

More to the point, I agree with Anon 12:53. And by the way, film crews DO hire local caterers. And truck rentals. And hotel rooms. And grips, prop stylists, wardrobe people, producers, actors, and directors. They're also exciting and interesting--personally I still get a kick out of running into Robert DeNiro on the street; just doesn't get old for me--and are priceless in reinforcing NYC's pre-eminence among world cities. Also, indeed, they only last a couple of days. Relax, already.

Hey, it's a bitch to drive in NYC (which, obviously) has some of the best public transit in the world). You probably shouldn't do it (I, unfortunately, have to), and, as such, if you choose to, quit whinging about how hard it is.

Posted by: chilllllll at June 27, 2007 1:43 PM

I own a local business and hire local people + caterers etc. So that means I can park anywhere I want?

Posted by: Anonymous at June 27, 2007 1:47 PM

If your local business involves filming on location, and you apply and pay for the proper permits, you can park wherever the permits say you can park. Stupid attempt at argument.

Posted by: anon at June 27, 2007 2:01 PM

They get tax breaks to shot boring commercials (not the Amex ones w/ Robert DeNiro). They close down residential streets and make homeowners/renters move their cars so the out of town "film crew" can drive right up and park. Why should a lighting guy have to look for a spot or take public transport? The nerve of those that pay property taxes.

Posted by: commercials at June 27, 2007 2:11 PM

I work in the industry. A huge percentage of people on every film crew (either for glamorous movies or boring commercials) is hired locally, for the rather obvious reason that it's muchhhhh cheaper. And in NY, that lighting guy is not parking his own car on your street; he's taking the subway (at 5 in the morning), picking up a production vehicle full of gear, and schlepping equipment to set. Most other crew members also take the subway to a meeting point, and are carried to set in vans. It's obviously not practical to make movies by transporting cameras (or Meryl Streep) on mass transit. Would you like to see production stop in NYC? What, you don't like Law & Order?

Posted by: anon at June 27, 2007 2:31 PM

Aw, mentch, many would argue on this board that you, as a real estate person, take up too much valuable space yourself. For crying out loud, get over it.

I've worked in the industry too, and 2:31 forgot to mention having to get up at 3AM to be somewhere at 5 to load up the truck and be back in the city on location. By the time you see the crew bum rushing the catering tables, and the bathroom, they've already been up for 6 hours. After they put in a full day, they then spend another 4 hours reloading the truck, driving it back to the studio or warehouse, and then being dropped off at the subway to go home. I think your average film crew, especially the camera, light and sound guys, as well as costumes, work much harder than you ever will.

Which is all irrelevant, anyway. Lighten up and just deal with occasional annoyance in your busy life, you'll live longer.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 27, 2007 3:21 PM

I also work in the film industry. The reason the movie permits to get the streets cleared is so they can get the shots they need. To do this properly involves putting prop cars in a shot that don't belong to someone not associated with the movie because if that person needed to move their car during shooting, the rest of the shots after that wouldn't match, now having a different car in shot. The cars you assume are crew people's cars, are most likely prop cars which are needed for the shots. And also, the camera moves around from spot to spot on a street, meaning the entire production has to shift and sometimes lights need to go in the street. Crew people from New Jersey complain all the time about not having free parking on set (but, hey, they choose to live in New Jersey so their problem as I see it). Most movies do and are actually required to hire locals and movies bring tons of money to NYC.

Posted by: anonymously at June 27, 2007 3:33 PM

I think the public transit in NYC leaves a lot to be desired. I think it is one of the worst systems in any world-class city.
Smelly, noisy, over-crowded, rat-infested, ugly.
Are any of these things untrue?

Posted by: auto-Matt at June 27, 2007 4:45 PM

First of all, has anyone found my 2nd comment? it's lost on the page, if someone founds it, please return it, thx.
Now, to the point, I am not a broker, I don't have to explain here exactly what I do, I just said I'm in the real estate line.
And to anon 3:21, I don't give a shit when those people have to get up, those who work in the fish market etc. are up earlier, all I said was, there is NO reason, that a WORKER, not a prop car, should get special parking treatment, he works in an industry, as do millions of other new yorkers, and no one gets special treatment, and I don't see why they should, thats all

Posted by: mentch at June 27, 2007 5:05 PM

Mentch, as was clearly stated above, the film workers DON'T get parking on movie shoots. The parking is for trailers, equipment trucks, etc. Not staff cars.

Meanwhile, I don't know anything about your size, my friend, but you gotta give it up to Anon 3:21. I think a LOT of people in NYC take up too much space.... :)

Posted by: Anonymous at June 27, 2007 6:27 PM

As a film worker, I would like to point out that we pay taxes based on where we work, not just where we live. So in addition to my NYC property taxes, my NYC income tax, my NY state income tax I pay the tax for whatever state I worked in that day, new jersey, connecticut, etc. (one year I had to file 7 state tax returns) So I don't feel your pain about how you pay property taxes, blah, blah.
And again, the caterers are all local, but most of the time its bad, so we are spending our money in neighborhood.

Posted by: Alisa at June 27, 2007 7:58 PM

I get hired to drive my van for these guys sometimes. they do hire locally :p.

Posted by: armchair_warrior at June 27, 2007 8:02 PM

The man in the photo is not a cop. He's a Traffic Agent. Both Cops and Traffic Agents will issue tickets to illegally parked cars of construction workers, film crews or anybody else (exept themselves of course) if you call either the precinct or the traffic command. You can also call 311 and they will route the call. For the NYPD, ticket writing is not their major concern, crime is, so you'd be better off asking the 311 operator for the traffic command center.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 27, 2007 8:33 PM

Go back to Kansas or wherever you are from. Give Brooklyn back to Brooklynites!

Posted by: Real Brooklynite! at June 27, 2007 10:16 PM

does anyone know the meaning of the word PUBLIC? Mentch???? You don't own or have a right to claim a piece of a public street just because you work on it. jeesh.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 28, 2007 12:22 AM

First of all, I SAW those workers just park their cars 2 blocks from the action, so I don't know if they don't GET to park there, I know they DO.
Next, I didn't claim any piece of land to me, I just pointed out another aspect where special treatment is made when it comes to parking, that's all, nobody here is interested in your cries how much taxes you pay, or when you have to get up, I just wanted to make a point, that's all.

Posted by: mentch at June 28, 2007 10:18 AM

Make a better point- and as someone else said- the film companies pay a LOT to get their permits. money for the City coffers. So yeah- they paid for the "special" treatment. Did you pay extra for your parking on a PUBLIC street?

Posted by: Anonymous at June 28, 2007 10:31 AM

parking on sidewalks is illegal, even when cops do it, unless they are responding to a call. it's illegal to block a sidewalk such that a disabled person could not get by.

Posted by: anonmous at June 28, 2007 12:48 PM

No, they get permits to film their movies, NOT to park their cars, they may abuse it, and there is nothing I can do about it, but it doesn't make it right, just like there is nothing you can do, when the police officer parks his car by a bus stop to get a sandwich, and the bus has to block the road to pick up passengers, got it?

Posted by: mentch at June 28, 2007 12:50 PM

The only times film crews get to park their cars on set is when the prop department has asked them to bring their particular car in to use as a prop for a scene. Sometimes actors, directors or producers are transported in rental cars, which then would be permitted to park on set as well -- and would like like a crew person's car because the driver is a crew person (teamster or a PA). So you really don't know what you're talking about.

Posted by: anonymously at June 28, 2007 3:39 PM

And yes, there are a handful of parking permits associated with permits for a film. But it's not like it was about 10 years ago when anyone with a car on the crew could get one -- the City changed that. Very few permits are given out -- only to crew members who drive as part of their job (running to pick up supplies or actors during the shooting day).

Posted by: anonymously at June 28, 2007 3:44 PM

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June 27, 2007

Can Construction Workers Park Where They Want?

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