New York City Department of Finance
Hearing By Mail Unit
Post Office Box 29021
Brooklyn NY 11202-9021
Dear Sir or Ms.:
Regarding Summons No. *********-*, issued to my car (plate NYC MJN, New York) for parking in a No Standing Anytime zone on Wednesday, 8/17/10:
My car was parked on the west side of a narrow median strip on Beach 102nd St. in Rockaway, Queens. At the north end of this strip are two signs, approximately one car length apart. (See Exhibit A, attached.)
The sign farther to the north (the one that appears larger in the photo) indicates Thursday parking rules to the south and No Standing Anytime to the north. The one farther to the south indicates Friday parking rules to the south and No Standing Anytime to the north. (Exhibit B shows the same signs from the opposite side, and offers a slightly better view of the print on the southernmost, or Friday, sign.) 
I was parked between the signs, on the west side of the median, in a spot that looks like it is governed by the (larger) sign on the pole to the north, clear of the No Standing Anytime zone. Looking at it, who would not agree that this spot looks perfectly legal? The sign to the south looks like it governs the opposite (east) side of the strip. The strip is too narrow for each pole to be closer to the side of the road that the sign on it applies to. Nor is either sign oriented by a slight tilt to the side of the street it applies to. How was I—how is anyone—to know that the signs mean the opposite of what they appear to say?
I request that the summons be dismissed on the ground that the signs on this median strip are inadequate and ambiguous, if not downright baffling. If the above explanation and the attached photographs are confusing, that only serves as further proof that the signs themselves are confusing (though I do apologize for my photography; this is not a very photogenic block).
Thank you for your patience and consideration.
Yours,
The Alternate Side Parker
3 comments:
The fine for parking in a No Standing Anytime zone is a whopping $115.
Things like this make me insane(r).
The Alternate Side Parking,
I am writing you on the behalf of Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez to encourage you to join us in the fight for parking reform. We wanted to make you aware of Intro 375, which is a proposed bill by the Council Member aimed at solving the problems faced citywide with alternate side parking. Intro 375, would allow drivers to park on the restricted side of a street if the street has already been cleaned or if they remain in their cars and are ready to move when the street is ready to be cleaned. On Tuesday, November 9th at 10:00AM at 250 Broadway you can come and testify to the City Council’s Transportation Committee on the importance of this bill and sign the petition in support of Intro 375. If you are interested in writing on this bill and joining us in this fight for reform, please contact the Legislative Director Megan Sallomi at msallomi@council.nyc.gov or (212)-788-7053.
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