Frustration mounts over broken NYC muni-meters

Joe was running late for an important business meeting. Thank goodness he found a vacant parking space in less than the normal 20 minutes circling the block. Joe parked his chariot and dashed off to the nearby muni-meter. When Joe arrived at toll machine, he was horrified to find a broken NYC muni-meters.

What should Joe do next?

The Broken NYC Muni-Meters Rule

(3) Parking at broken or missing meters.

(i) A person shall be allowed to park at a missing or broken meter up to the maximum amount

of time otherwise lawfully permitted at such meter.

(ii) Where parking spaces in a parking field or on a block are controlled by “Muni-Meters,” and

a  “Muni- Meter” is broken or missing, the person seeking to purchase a parking receipt shall use a functional “Muni- Meter” in the same parking field or on the same block, to purchase a parking receipt and shall display it pursuant to paragraph 10 of this subdivision.

If all muni-meters in a parking field or on a block are missing or broken, a person shall be allowed to park in such parking field or on such block up to the maximum amount of time otherwise lawfully permitted by such muni-meters in such controlled parking field or block.

For purposes of this section, “muni-meter” shall mean an electronic parking meter that dispenses timed receipts that must be displayed in a conspicuous place on a vehicle’s dashboard.

[alert type=”info” icon-size=”hide-icon”]Have you been ambushed by this muni-meter?[/alert]

Muni- Meter laws you ought to know about

Here is a short, but informative, slide presentation about the MM laws.

Commentary

I interpret “parking field” to mean both sides of the city block (and hopefully a short city block).

If you stumble upon a broken muni-meter:

• Make sure the screen displays “Machine out-of-order”
• If not, move along little doggie
• If so, call 311
• Take photographs of the machine including the screen displaying “Machine out-of-order,” and the identification number on the MM
• Search for a working MM machine in the same “parking field”
• If you find another broken machine, repeat the same process set forth above, and search for a working MM machine
• If the search for a working MM machine proves to be futile, find another parking space

Please remove all sharp objects from your chariot before you look for a working muni-meter.

Do you wanna know some muni-meter secrets? Press very gently on this link and you’ll find out.

Good luck.