Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Tip from your Native New Yorker:


Image courtesy of Gridlock Sam

So for some reason, you have a car in NYC.
After enduring the harrowing traffic on the Westside Highway/FDR, you make it to your destination.
Now comes the hard part, finding parking or what I like to call (avoiding a ticket).
Honestly, I swear parking is more about avoiding tickets than actually finding a spot. There are tons of spots just not legal spots in NYC.

If
After hours of circling the same set of 4 blocks to search for parking…
After accidentally missing your turn and having to cross town to turn back because of the gridlock laws…
After cursing out three yellow cabs, a biker and an out of town minivan…
After deciphering the cryptic parking signs…

you find a parking spot with a meter and the meter turns out to be broken, you are in luck, my friends.

By reporting the broken meter to 311, you can get authorization from the DOT to park at that spot for whatever time is allotted on the parking sign.

Paper bagging the meter won’t work; you’ll get a ticket.
Writing a missive to Mr/Ms. Traffic agent won’t work; you’ll get a ticket.

After losing $.50 in a meter on Union Square East and 15th, I called 311 with my plight. Lrudlrick had a doctor’s appointment and I couldn’t keep circling around Union Square without cracking and mowing someone down at the farmer’s market.

The 311 operator transferred me to the DOT. I gave them the meter number and he granted me an hour of parking.

Thank you 311.

This has been a public service message from Pantrygirl.