The Worlds Worst Parking Tickets Advice in New York City

Last Updated on October 19, 2017 by Lawrence Berezin

You’ll land in parking tickets prison if you rely on social proof

Social proof is a very strong emotional trigger in the world at large, and especially in the wacky world of parking tickets NYC. I can’t tell you how many times I get calls from the wonderful members of our driving community explaining why they parked in a space and couldn’t believe they got a parking ticket:

” There was a line of cars parked behind me with no parking tickets on the windshield, so I figured it was safe to park there” (Ca-ching!)

The only person in the entire universe who was impervious to social proof was my Dad. Every time I asked for something and prefaced it by explaining that all my friends got [ fill-in-the-blank ] from their fathers, my Dad denied my request. How about your father?

The antidote to parking ticket social proof

[alert type=”info” icon-size=”hide-icon”]Please, I beseech you, ignore, disregard, and scoff at these suggestions, regardless of what you see or you hear:[/alert]

• A police officer telling you, “It’s safe to park”
• A line of cars without any parking tickets on their windshields
• It’s legal to double park during street cleaning days
• Your chariot can’t be towed because there is no “tow away zone” sign
• You can’t beat a parking ticket for double parking in NYC
• It’s o.k. to sit in your car in a no parking zone because you’re standing not parking
• It’s perfectly legal to double park your chariot for “just a minute” while you run into a store to purchase a lottery ticket
• You can stop temporarily to drop off or pick up your Aunt Tillie and her suitcase in a No Standing zone
• It’s perfectly legal to stop temporarily while you drop off a bag of groceries in the front hallway of your house in a no standing or no parking zone
• You can park within 10 feet of a fire hydrant in NYC

Here’s a money-saving guide to double parking in NYC. You may want to check it out to learn what may happen to you if you double park. Simply click on the image below.

Why are the above examples bad parking ticket advice?

• I always hear from members of our wonderful driving community that a police officer said it was safe to park, and lo and behold they got a parking ticket
• Always, every time, make your own decision about whether it’s safe to park in a particular space by checking for parking signs anywhere on the block with arrows pointing to your car. Then, read the rule on the parking sign…YOURSELF
• Double parking on the unrestricted side of the street during street cleaning is illegal…It’s like a sleeping crocodile. It will bite you when it’s ready to eat
• All of NYC is a tow away zone…No notice or signs necessary
• The minority view is that double parking is legal if you can prove you stopped temporarily to drop off or pick up your Aunt Tilly (I agree with the minority view and so does the NYC DOF parking ticket adjudication unit)
• You can only drop off or pick up people NOT things in a No Standing zone
• Be prepared to pay $115 if you make this mistake
• C’mon man, the correct distance is 15 feet, not 10 feet

Commentary

Knowledge is power and the best cure for bad social proof. Do not fall victim to the power of the mob. We see it all the time in ads encouraging you to take action…”Come join your friends at…” “Don’t be the last person to…” The mind is a terrible thing to waste. Use it wisely and often.

Here’s what the NYC DOT has to say about whether or not double parking is legal

But, here’s what the PVB says about double parking (See, page 11)</a