Double Parking Ticket
Yesterday at 4:20 pm, I double parked my car outside my home on Wash Ave to off-load my 3 and 7 year old. I left the flashers on and my wife came down the stoop to pick them up. In the 4 min transaction an 88 Precinct patrol car pulled in front of my car…
Yesterday at 4:20 pm, I double parked my car outside my home on Wash Ave to off-load my 3 and 7 year old. I left the flashers on and my wife came down the stoop to pick them up. In the 4 min transaction an 88 Precinct patrol car pulled in front of my car and issued a ticket even though they saw the kids. Arguing was in vain and the officer said she ‘wanted to teach me a lesson’. However, the ticket was incomplete and omitted the time. I plan on contesting it and have three witnesses who saw the bizarre exchange. Any advice?
The ticket itself is the traffic agents sworn testimony. It means that they saw a double parked car. No kids, no driver, no unloading. Hard to prove otherwise. Even when the agent is lying on the ticket. I used to get meter tix on the UWS with minutes left on the meter. I hope god remembers those traffic agents.
If you really are there, you could snap a cell phone pix of the traffic agent, he is required to get your license if you are present. If he doesn’t he will have an incomplete report.
Life in the big city says you get a ticket once in a while. I double park all the time and I know every once in a while I will get a well deserved ticket. I often leave my trunk open as a strategy.
Maybe you can hook your windshield wipers to the battery when you double park!
Minisimon,
The challenge you raise is one of the mysteries of the New York parking ticket universe. Is it ever legal to double park a passenger vehicle in NYC? The answer is, it depends upon who you ask.
For example, The DOT website states double parking is illegal at all times, as stated by Bikinit. However, the “Guide to Parking Ticket Hearings” published by the adjudication unit of the DOF (The men and women who judge parking tickets) states on page 14 that it is LEGAL to double park while stopping temporarily to drop-off or pick-up passengers to the curb. Here’s a link to the Google landing page for “Guide to Parking Ticket Hearings.”
“http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=guide+to+parking+ticket+hearings
A terrific friend of the parking public, Council Member Greenfield (D-Brooklyn) has a Bill pending in committee before the NYC Council to make double parking LEGAL, and eliminate these conflicting opinions.
I respectfully suggest to avoid double parking because of all the uncertainty. But, if you double park, when you fight your parking ticket refer to the “Guide to Parking Ticket Hearings.”
In my humble opinion, the police officer is required to enter the time of occurrence. It is a required element. Since the time wasn’t entered, and you disputed your ticket…You win. Congratulations.
I have no problem beating a ticket, however legitimate. It makes up for the illegitimate tickets I’ve gotten, such as for parking with my front bumper allegedly hanging 4 inches over the cross walk. NOT!! But there was no way for me to contest that ticket, and it cost me $115.
Oh — and also, most of the ridiculous things that go on in this town is due to having supervisors that have no idea how to manage the “line” staff. I think ALL of the supervisors in the Non-Police Services of the NYPD and All of the Sanitation Dept. should be demoted and forced to reapply for their jobs… and NOT repromote many of them.
Brooklyn Plumber — there’s a difference between writing a ticket and the ticket being correct!
NYC Parking Rule #40 — “Stopping, standing or parking closer than 15 feet of a fire hydrant. Between sunrise and sunset, a passenger vehicle may stand alongside a fire hydrant as long as a driver remains behind the wheel and is ready to move the vehicle if required to do so.”
Tybur6, you can’t stop at a hydrant at all. If they let you go, it’s only a courtesy and it doesn’t matter if you’re sitting in the vehicle so you can move in an emergency. I was pulled over at a hydrant so I can answer my phone and not drive while talking. A ticket agent walked right over to my vehicle, my window was opened, looked at me, smiled and then proceeded to scan my registration. I asked why I was getting a ticket and she just said, “you’re parked at a hydrant”. Go figure. I also got a ticket once while waiting to parallel park a spot on 7th. Ave. The car was getting out of the spot and I was waiting with my signal on in my Commercial vehicle. The agent came over, blocked my car and scanned me. I asked why and he said becaue I was double parked. I said I was waiting to park in the open spot (which was now open) and he said I should drive around the block and get lucky like everyone else and I can’t just sit and wait. I asked if I could pull into the spot while he was finishing the ticket and told me that if I move, he’ll write me up for leaving the scene of the ticket. The stories can go on and on…..
All the information on the summons must be factually correct, or it will be dismissed if you contest it. Yes, I’m guilty when I illegally park and receive a summons. And very guiltily happy when I get a summons dismissed on a technicality. Rules are rule. They work both ways.
This thread reminds me of one from a while back where someone was outraged, OUTRAGED, that they were given an open container ticket for picnicing with wine in the park. Their arguement was that since it was wine (read:civilized) and since they were well-behaived they shouldn’t be treated the same as some lout with a 40 oz. But the law is the law and it does sound like the officer was really giving you a warning since the ticket is incomplete.
I was thinking the same thing as you, fcpiii. We all know that there is NO quota system for tickets or arrests or anything at all like that here in our fair city. Still, this officer might just have THOUGHT that he had a ticket quota to fulfill and decided to write this driver a ticket. Then, he might have intentionally omitted a vital piece of information, one which he knew would probably result in an automatic dismissal. By doing this, he fulfilled his ticket quota and also didn’t cost the driver anything but some time. And perhaps, under his breath, sent a “screw you” to his precinct commander.