21 NYC Parking Ticket Tips & Resources you may have Missed

21-Parking ticket tips

1. A bus stop begins at the bus stop sign and extends in the direction of the arrow(s) until the next parking sign or the end of the block. Learn it and avoid a parking ticket
2. Don’t look for yellow curb lines indicating the length of a bus stop zone
3. Don’t think if you park far enough away from the bus stop sign so buses can enter and exit a bus stop zone you will avoid a parking ticket. You won’t!
4. You cannot stop temporarily and expeditiously unload property to the curb in a bus stop zone. You can only unload or load people
5. You are not permitted to park within fifteen (15) feet of a fire hydrant
6. If your car is the first in line (the car closest to a fire hydrant) PLEASE take a photograph with your cell phone showing the distance between your car and the pump. You’ll lose the opportunity if your car is towed! Then walk the distance to be sure you parked more than fifteen (15) feet away
7. The photograph of your car should also display some landmarks, so you can measure the distance from the landmark to the pump, and prove you parked more than fifteen (15) feet away from the pump
8. Between sunrise and sunset, you are permitted to park alongside a fire hydrant, as long as you leave a licensed driver sitting behind the wheel, with the keys in the ignition, who is able to move your vehicle upon request to do so
9. Convention wisdom says double parking is NOT permitted in NYC, anywhere, anytime, any day, period. End of story
10. I disagree (big deal)
11. Other experts disagree (o.k. you’ve got my attention)
12. If you are issued a parking ticket for double parking and stopped temporarily to drop off or pick up a passenger,  in a no standing or no parking zone outside of Midtown; and get so angry you decide to fight your parking ticket, I suggest the best defense is to cite the Department of Finance, Adjudication Division, “Guide to Parking Ticket Hearings,” at page 10 and page 14. The judges own Guide states picking up or dropping off passengers is a defense to double parking
13. Confused about whether it is illegal to double park? Me, too.
14. Councilman David Greenfield indicated he will sponsor a bill to clear up this mess, and make dropping off or picking up a passenger a defense to double parking BY LAW
15. Please, please, triple please, learn the difference between the three (3) NO’S.
16. No Stopping, No Standing, and No Parking
17. How do you learn to understand NYC parking signs? Practice, practice, practice
18. If you see a parking sign that reads, NO STANDING, EXCEPT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES METERED PARKING, 3 HR LIMIT, 10 a.m. – 4  p.m. EXCEPT SUNDAY. It means a passenger or a commercial vehicle CAN park on Sunday. On all other days, passenger vehicles keep driving.

Resources

1. If you park safely and then get nailed with a traffic ticket, there’s only one person to contact, Matthew Weiss, Esquire. He will make it easy for you
2. The best way to avoid NYC parking tickets is parking in a garage. Here’s how to find the most convenient off-street parking at the best prices. Click on the link, you’ll be glad you did!   Park It Guide.
3. To protect yourself from failing to move your car on street cleaning days, here’s a download to the 2018 Alternate Side Parking and Holiday Calendar. 

Commentary

Knowledge is power. I urge you to learn these basic NYC parking rules and parking laws. These 21-parking ticket tips & resources will help you keep your hard-earned dough where it belongs….in YOUR wallet!

I’d love to hear your opinion. Were these tips and resources helpful? Any questions?