What do NYC Parking Tickets have in Common with the Winter Olympics?

Last Updated on February 27, 2018 by Lawrence Berezin

NYC parking tickets and the Winter Olympics

NYC parking tickets. Imagine the courage it takes to stand on top of an incredibly high mountain, with ski poles in hand, and prepare yourself for a huge jump or a downhill race.

Imagine navigating the chaos of NYC roadways trying to find empty parking spaces without getting NYC parking tickets?

The awe-inspiring Olympic athletes devote years and years of their childhood to train for these events. How much of your time do you devote to learning the laws and rules that regulate NYC curbs before embarking on your journey?

If you didn’t train for the Olympic size event of navigating the mean streets of NYC, it will be a painful journey.

Here are three tips to help you finish your journey safely.

How long is a bus stop?

The answer is not:

-It’s long enough for a bus to fit

-Far-away from the bus stop sign

-I’ll know it when I see it

If those answers are the best you can do, pay the Evil Empire $115.

Check out this 15-second video for the answer

Now that you know the length of an NYC bus stop, what if you stop in a bus stop zone to drop off your Aunt Tillie and get a parking ticket. Do you have a defense?

Let me start out by saying it is difficult to beat a bus stop ticket. The defense is:

A driver can stop temporarily to expeditiously drop off or pick up a passenger (no property) and leave the bus stop zone immediately, as long as she doesn’t block a bus from entering or exiting the bus stop zone. In my humble opinion, there are too many elements to prove. Especially, if the Warrior claims there was no driver present when he issued the parking ticket. Most of the time, a judge is going to believe you either left your car unattended or you were waiting for a passenger.

Bus stop flashcards

NYC fire hydrants

How far must you park from a fire hydrant?

O.K. that ‘s the easy part. Let’s take a look at the myriad exceptions to the fire hydrant rule and its challenges

4-08(e) General no stopping zones (stopping, standing and parking prohibited in specified places). No person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle in any of the following places, unless otherwise indicated by posted signs, markings or other traffic control devices, or at the direction of a law enforcement officer, or as otherwise provided in this subdivision:

(2) Hydrants. Within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant, unless otherwise indicated by signs, or parking meters, except that during the period from sunrise to sunset if standing is not otherwise prohibited, the operator of a passenger car may stand the vehicle alongside a fire hydrant provided that the operator remains in the operator’s seat ready for immediate operation of the vehicle at all times and starts the motor of the car on hearing the approach of fire apparatus, and provided further, that the operator shall immediately remove the car from alongside the fire hydrant when instructed to do so by any member of the police, fire, or other municipal department acting in his/her official capacity.

You are permitted to park a passenger car within 15 feet of a fire hydrant:

-Between sunrise and sunset

-The driver remains in the driver’s seat

-Ready for immediate operation of the vehicle

-The driver shall immediately remove the car from alongside the fire hydrant when instructed

But,

-Can a commercial vehicle stop stand or park alongside a fire hydrant?

-They your Uncle fall asleep in the back seat with the keys?

-Can you park alongside a fire hydrant on January 15, 2017, at 6:15 pm?

Here are some fire hydrant mistakes to avoid at all costs.

Parking ticket factoids and other data

Here are some fascinating factoids about parking tickets and a great place to find these data nuggets

[alert type=”info” icon-size=”normal”]Parking tickets by year and month[/alert]

[alert type=”info” icon-size=”normal”]By make of car[/alert]

Commentary

You should now be experts on bus stops and fire hydrants. You know:

-The length of a bus top

-The defense

-The degree of difficulty to beat a bus stop ticket

Bottom line, try not to stop in a bus stop zone, period. Even to stop temporarily to expeditiously drop off a passenger because if a Cop or Warrior sees you, you’ll get a parking ticket and it will be difficult to prove your defense.

Fire hydrant parking tickets should now be another area of expertise. You know the:

-Rule

-Exceptions

-Nuances (only a commercial vehicle can hangout within 15 feet of a fire hydrant)

Park safely.