Beware: Another Crafty NYC Parking Ticket Trap

Here’s another NYC parking ticket trap involving street markings versus a parking sign

Joe was about to pull into a vacant parking space (a NYC parking ticket trap) on a busy street in Queens. The curb space was full, except for this one parking space. Joe checked for signs and noticed the parking rule that regulated his parking space permitted one-hour parking…Pay the muni meter.

Joe got out of his chariot, walked to the muni meter, paid for time, returned to his car and placed the receipt face up on his dashboard…Joe considered himself a lucky fella. But was he? Or was he another victim of this NYC parking trap?

Joe was ambushed by a safety zone

Joe failed to notice the diagonal lines reaching out like tentacles from the curb setting the NYC parking ticket trap. The curb space was full and the diagonal white lines were barely visible beneath the parked cars.

When Joe returned to his car, he found a very visible boot and a parking ticket. Yikes. He was charged and booted for parking in a safety zone.

How to avoid this NYC parking ticket trap

Joe was faced with an unusual parking conflict. A parking sign said Yes, but street markings said  No. Who wins?

Sadly, a safety zone trumps a parking sign. The safety zone wins. Ca-ching, $115.

Commentary

How can we possibly avoid the myriad parking ticket traps. What trumps what? Here’s a checklist that may help you decide whether to park or not park…That is the $115 question.

• Safety zone trumps a parking sign
• There is a 360-degree no parking zone enforced for a fire hydrant
• No always trumps yes when two parking signs compete for your money (Stricter parking rule trumps less strict rule)
• You can never park in a bicycle lane
• It is legal to park in front of a curb cut on the long ‘T‘ of a ‘T’ intersection without a marked crosswalk, traffic control devices or traffic signs regulating traffic

Here’s what the parking crime scene looked like. Would you have been snared by this NYC parking ticket trap?

Safety zones trump parking signs every time. It’s a trap!

Check out the tickets and boots on the victim’s cars.

A driveway can be a trap for an unsuspecting driver. Do you know when you can and can’t park in front of a NYC driveway? If you have any doubts, check out the driveway guide below. It’s free but will cost your email address and first name