Last Updated on January 19, 2018 by Lawrence Berezin
What does Harvey, James Stewart’s imaginary rabbit, have to do with NYC parking tickets?
As the year 2010 draws to a close, I am trying to come up with some original, innovative words of wisdom to help all of our friends, visitors and clients fight NYC parking tickets and win. I’ve written over 250 articles sharing every ounce of parking ticket wisdom, tips, alerts and news with you; but to my dismay, you’re still getting parking tickets. I must work harder and smarter to find a cure for the terrible parking ticket plague.
A few days ago I stumbled across a movie poster of a wonderful, old James Stewart movie, “Harvey,” about an imaginary six-foot-tall, white rabbit; when I was struck by a thunderbolt. Imaginary rabbit…Imaginary defense…Imaginary parking ticket defense. That’s it.
Don’t present the Imaginary (hereinafter, “Harvey”) defense when you fight an NYC parking ticket
It won’t work. Never, ever. You can’t make up a defense to a parking ticket because you want to get some anger off your chest, or it feels right, or it feels reasonable, or you’re a smart gal/guy and think by simply telling your story, you’ll beat a wily parking ticket. Try this, instead:
- Every parking crime has a winning defense
- Match the right winning defense with the parking crime
- Present the proper proof, properly, and
- You’ll maximize your chance to win
For example, Johnny Law permits you to stop, drop or receive a passenger, and vamoose in a NO STANDING zone. If a warrior issues you an unjustified parking ticket in a NO STANDING zone, fight it with a winning defense; not the I only waited for my 93-year-old girlfriend to sprint across the street safely. The girlfriend defense is a “Harvey” defense, while the stop, drop and go defense is a winner.
Another example is you are allowed to stop, stand or park in front of a fire hydrant, as long as you leave a licensed driver behind the wheel of the car, with the keys, ready to move upon request, between sunrise to sunset. That’s the way you beat a fire hydrant parking ticket. NOT, I only ran into the pizzeria for one minute to pick up my mushroom, anchovies, and extra sauce pizza. The pizza is a “Harvey” Defense. Please, resist the urge to resort to slinging a “Harvey” at a parking ticket judge. You’ll lose. I promise.
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Present the Proper Proof, properly, NOT the “Harvey” proof
For example, if you are contesting the rule displayed on a parking sign, you must present overlapping photographs of the entire block, including close-ups of each parking sign. Don’t do a “Harvey” and present a close-up of one sign because you think a judge will believe it was the sign that regulated your parking space because you said it was. It is a loser!
If you claim an address doesn’t exist, use the Elvis Presley Defense. Don’t try to pull a six-foot white rabbit out of your glove compartment. You are not judged for originality. You must do your homework and present the defense a parking ticket judge is used to seeing.
How often do people in your life throw the “Harvey” defense at you? How about your colleagues at work, your children, your girlfriend or wife? Any examples? Can you pick out “Harvey?” Or, do you miss the six-foot-tall white rabbits in your life?
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