Last Updated on September 21, 2017 by Lawrence Berezin
The Joker and NYC parking tickets have a bunch of stuff in common
Wikipedia describes the Joker, a Gotham City supervillain, as:
One of the most iconic characters in popular culture, the Joker has been cited as one of the greatest comic book villains and fictional characters ever created.”
I adored Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker in the 2008 Batman movie, “Dark Knight.”
Would you be surprised to find the Joker issuing NYC parking tickets, as a minion of the Evil Empire?
How do we fight the Joker and win?
Knowledge is power. It is essential to acquire a thorough understanding of the NYC parking ticket rules and regulations to survive curbside in NYC.
For example:
- How long is an NYC bus stop?
- What is the distance of the “no park zone” between your chariot and a fire hydrant?
- Can you stop, drop off or pick up passengers, and skedaddle in a no standing zone?
- How about stopping, dropping passengers and their stuff, and leaving immediately in a no parking zone?
- What are the invisible enemies you may stumble upon in NYC?
If you don’t know the answers or how to find the answers to these basic questions, you are parking ticket toast.
1. You can easily find the answer to the first question on Larry’s Parking Ticket Blog, or on our website F.A.Q. page. You may be able to find the answer to the bus stop conundrum on the NYC Department of Finance website, NYC Department of Transportation website, or in the NYC traffic rules promulgated by the Commissioner of the NYC DOT, if you know that a bus stop zone starts at the bus stop sign (makes sense). A bus stop sign is no different from any other parking sign, and parking signs regulate the curb space in the direction of the arrow(s) until the next parking sign or if none, the end of the block.
2. You can easily find the answer to question #2 on Larry’s Parking Ticket Blog, our website F.A.Q. page, on the N.Y.P.D website, or on the NYC DOT website. It’s 15 feet in all directions.
3. Larry’s Parking Ticket Blog and the NYC DOT website.
4. Same as the answer to #3
5. Invisible enemies will bushwhack you and take your hard-earned dough. For example, there doesn’t have to be a sign or any other type of notice for:
- Blocking the Box
- Pedestrian ramp violations
- Stopping in an unmarked crosswalk (or any crosswalk)
- Double parking
- Driveway violations
- Can you think of other invisible enemies?
Commentary
The takeaway from this blog post is that you’ve gotta do your homework before you park your car in NYC. If you don’t know that when there are two or more parking signs regulating your parking space, the more restrictive parking rule wins; and you’ll win an NYC parking ticket.
I can’t tell you how many members of the driving public have told me they thought the no-fly zone for a fire hydrant was 10 feet (it’s 15 feet). Or, I thought they parked far enough away from the bus stop sign for a bus to fit in a bus stop zone. Or, that parking was free at a broken muni-meter. Well, it may turn out to be free, as long as you can document the gazillion things you need to do before parking (and you’ll still get a parking ticket. Please avoid the temptation of parking at a broken muni-meter).
There are plenty of resources available on the Internet to learn the fundamentals of parking your car in NYC without getting an NYC parking ticket. Or, if you are issued an unjust parking ticket…How to beat it.
Don’t let the Joker take your money.
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