How to Avoid Fire Hydrant and Bus Stop Violations
Why spend your hard-earned dough on a fire hydrant and bus stop violations?
Preventive medicine is the best cure for fire hydrant and bus stop parking violations. That is to say, read this post every 4 hours for the next two weeks, and call me in the morning if you still get a parking ticket.
Fire hydrant violation
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What did Joe do wrong when he fought his fire hydrant parking ticket?
Joe (“fictitious”) parked his car more than 15 feet from a fire hydrant, yet he still received a fire hydrant violation.
Joe diligently prepared his defense letter and created some exhibits. Meanwhile, he fought his parking ticket by mail.
A few months later, Joe received a letter from the Evil Empire that he lost his case.
What went wrong?
Bus stop violation
A picture is worth 1000 words. Here is a picture and a few words:
A bus stop extends from the BUS STOP SIGN in the direction(s) of the little arrow under the little bus on the BUS STOP SIGN until:
- The next parking sign in the direction of the arrow; or the end of the block
- If the arrow points in both directions, then the bus stop zone extends in BOTH directions until the next parking sign; or the end of the block
Please see the above screen capture. The bus stop zone extends in BOTH directions from the bus stop sign until:
- The next parking sign to the left of the bus stop in the yellow circle; and
- In the other direction, to the right, until the end of the block
There are no yellow curb markings to designate the length of a bus stop zone. There are positively no street, sidewalk, or curb markings to give the driving public notice of the size of a bus stop zone!
Do’s and Don’ts
- Please do not estimate the length of an NYC bus (it’s 40-45 feet long, about) and argue that you parked far enough away from the bus stop sign for an NYC bus to fit. No one will listen!
- Do not argue that you only stopped for a minute to run into a store to buy a lottery ticket. Ca-ching!
- You can stop temporarily to drop off expeditiously or pick up a passenger. But don’t wait for “a few minutes” for your passenger to arrive. Ca-ching, ca-ching.
Like all parking rules, learning the bus stop rule and defense takes relentless repetition.
If you have 50 seconds, you will help bake the bus stop rule and defense into your brain.
Enjoy!
I tried to cargue a parking ticket with supporting pictures that showed several things:
1. I was parked 82,5 ft before the bus stop sign
2. There were orange construction barriers (3) on the street between the bus stop and the spot where I had parked.
3. There was a sidewalk flower bed surrounded by a metal fence (1ft high) next to my car.
Regardless of these arguments the city official refusal indicated the following:
Respondent submitted a
statement that, in effect, did not interfere with the bus and submits 6 photos of the area but does not specifically indicate where the vehicle was parked. Also, NYC law provides that a bus stop runs from the sign to an intervening regulation or the end of a block.
Agency records indicate that the location indicated on the summons was a bus stop. Summons sustained.
Do you see any merit in challenging the city decision??
Hi, Felipe,
Sorry about the loss.
I really can’t give you an intelligent reply without reviewing the photographs and your defense statement.
But, here’s what I can say:
-The evil judge stated the law correctly.
-The length of a bus stop has nothing to do with how far away from the bus stop sign you parked.
-A bus stop zone extends from the bus stop sign in the direction of the arrow(s) until the next parking sign or the end of the block
-3 construction barriers don’t mean a bus stop ended, nor does a flower bed and metal fence
The quick answer will be found by inserting the place of occurrence in the DOT Parking Regulation Map. You’ll see the location of any intervening parking sign or the end of the block.
DOT Parking Regulations map
It sounds to me like you fought the good fight, prepared great exhibits, but may not have understood how you determine the length of a bus stop in Parking Ticket Land.
Good luck, Felipe.
Regards,
Larry
Hey, if I just got a ticket for parking in a bus zone but the officer wrote the wrong address and the wrong time can I contest it? For reference, upon doing some research I now realize that I was in a bus zone- who knew you couldn’t park all the way at the end of the block?! But the address they listed is 100% incorrect (and not in a bus zone, ironically).
Hi, Ashley,
Who knew? Kudos for doing the research to learn!
If the Place of Occurrence was not in the bus stop zone, you win. The tricky part is presenting the proper proof properly.
what proof are you going to offer?
Regards,
Larry
Larry
Thank you for you great website. What a wonderful public service.
Last Wednesday I got a ticket for parking at a bus stop on 37th Street west of 4th Avenue in Brooklyn. It didn’t occur to me that I might be parking at a bus stop because there was a 20 foot wide driveway leading into a McDonald’s parking lot separating where I parked from the “rest of” the bus stop. After growing up in NYC and more recently driving into the city and parking on the city streets from my home in Rockland County for approaching three decades, I have never before been aware of a city bus stop which crosses any driveway, let alone a 20 foot wide driveway into a parking lot for a McDonalds or other commercial establishment.
After reviewing the criteria you have posted here on your website, I am fearful that in fact I may have actually parked at the bus top, notwithstanding the 20 foot driveway. If so, is there any way I can use these circumstances to request leniency?
Joseph
Hi, Joseph,
Good morning.
I’m afraid there is no such thing as “leniency” in Parking Ticket Land.
I would check the front of the tickets for mistakes. For example, the MAKE of your chariot, the plate type, body type, registration expiration date, the place of occurrence, etc.
If you find one or more omitted, misdescribed, or illegible required elements you win, subject to presenting the proper proof, properly.
Good luck.
Regards,
Larry
I just received a parking in a bus stop ticket. I was parked 5 feet before the first sign. There was ample room from the front of my car to the beginning of the bus stop sign.
Is there a distance that needs to left outside of the first bus stop sign? I am very confused as to why I received the ticket.
Thanks,
Joe
Hi, Joe,
Good morning.
I don’t blame you.
A bus stop starts at the sign and extends in the direction of the arrow or arrows to the next parking sign. If none, then the end of the block.
Do you recall whether the arrows on the sign pointed in BOTH directions?
Regards,
Larry
Hi,
I also received a ticket for “no standing bus stop” in Bronx, NY.
It was almost 11 PM and I did not see the sign for the bus stop (a vehicle was parked in front of me). My car was on, I never turned off the engine.
I checked the DOT map and it doesn’t allow me to see the signage for the street and if there supposed to be a sign that end bus stop.
I checked google maps and it appears there is no sign that end bus stop therefore placing my vehicle in the bus stop zone.
My question is how effective would be the defense explaining that I stopped due to health related reason (need to check blood glucose level due to not feeling well) and was in a vehicle when ticket was issued?
Also would using health related reason compromise me in any way?
Thank you.
Kind thanks,
Mary A.
Hi, Mary,
Good morning.
Sorry about the painful bus stop experience.
I don’t think to stop for your health-related reason under the circumstances you described reach the level of a health emergency with proof of treatment. But, since you were behind the wheel of your car, a Warrior or Cop is required to enter your name on the ticket. I would use the health-related reason to convince the judge that you were actually sitting behind the wheel when the Warrior or Cop issued the ticket. Judges love details, especially those details that can be corroborated.
Good luck fighting the good fight, Mary.
Regards,
Larry
PS…Let the judge know why you were out at 11 PM
Thank you for your expertise!
You’re very welcome, Mary!
Thanks for your kind comment.
Regards,
Larry
It does not matter how you try to fight it, they always win. I let my son out of the car at a bus stop, as i was doing so a meter maid pulled her car up across the front of my car as to NOT let me pull off when my son closed the door, and started writing the ticket. When i explained to her that as she could she I had just pulled over to let him out of the car, she said well your still here. When I said to her I was still there cause she had blocked me in, she said prove it…..
Hi, Denise,
Sorry, about the bus stop pain.
I have urged our wonderful visitors to avoid stopping temporarily at a bus stop exactly because of what happened to you.
We are at the mercy of rogue Cops and Warriors who see a car in a bus stop and immediately issue a ticket.
Regards,
Larry