Parking Sensors To Show Available Spaces, Huh?

OK, I admit I haven't read very much about this parking sensor program in the Bronx, because honestly, I can't imagine a weirder way to spend taxpayer time and money. But the program has been officially announced on the DOT web site and is coming up in the news more, so I suppose I'll have to research the matter someday.
What is this grand experiment of which I speak? Well, once upon a time, along portions of Arthur Avenue and East 187th Street in the Bronx, electronic sensors were installed in the pavement beneath metered parking spaces. These sensors detect when a car has pulled away from its location. When a car leaves, a signal is sent to a receiving station and that signal is represented on a map as a block with a potential parking space. This map is published on the DOT web site for all to see. A Mobile App is soon to follow. And that is how every boy and girl in this city will one day be able to find a parking space.
I don’t know about test audiences in obscure areas of the Bronx, but in the places I park in this wonderful city, parking spaces appear and disappear in a New York Minute. Anyone who has parked extensively in the city will recognize the “Lion” method of parking as dubbed in this blog which is to wait on a particular block until a space becomes available. Needless to say, there can be more than one Lion on a block at a particular time and even when a space opens up right in front of you, you don’t always get it, either because of another Lion who anticipated faster or just a lucky Shark that happened to be cruising at the exact moment a person signaled his car doors to open. So, in most cases, the appearance on a map of a freed parking space, while a truly immaculate event, probably won’t mean much by the time you get there which, of course, will return you to consult the map again to see what other neighborhood blocks have freed up spaces. So you might have to drive around a bit to find a parking space...
Last I heard the New York State legislature (and most other state legislatures as well) has determined that texting while driving increases the likelihood of accidents. That is why in New York State texting, (which requires looking at your mobile phone) while driving is illegal and considered highly dangerous. How will looking at a map on that same phone for an indication of a parking space differ, especially when that parking space will likely be gone by the time you get there?
In fact, it seems like a handy tool like this will make it more likely that more drivers will be converging on a block with an open parking space than would have otherwise. So maybe as more and more people use this service, the wisest (and safest) thing might be to go to blocks that don’t indicate available parking. This is New York. Chances are someone will be leaving eventually and you won’t have to compete with all those other drivers staring into their mobile phones. Plus, I don’t know about you, but parking is competitive enough in this city and won’t even more people than ever consider parking in the city because they see some open spaces on a map and believe that parking is readily available?

The following excerpts of the DOT announcement set off a few alarms with me. What do you think?

“The real-time parking map, now available on the Department of Transportation’s website and on Streetline’s Parker smartphone app later this spring, uses state-of-the-art sensors installed last year at no cost to the city in the roadbed”

Obvious red flag: it's being installed and facilitated by a for-profit company. Make no mistake, certain aspects of this program may be provided by outside interests, but something like this could never be implemented without considerable time and effort by the DOT, their data analysts, traffic managers, permit offices, etc., etc. So what is driving this unusual collaboration? A for-profit company is probably not doing this soley for the public good. Or are they? At least it’s safe to assume the DOT is into this purely for the sake of facilitating easier parking about which Mayor Bloomberg has always been so sympathetic. Don’t you agree?

“Interested motorists can sign up for the service for free on the PayByPhone website and register their license plate numbers and credit card information on encrypted servers and download the PayByPhone app.”

Because we know that a database of exactly where your car has been and where your credit cards and smart phones have been used is not information that could be accumulated and disseminated (bought and sold?) or used against you in any way.

“The app, payment processing and customer service will be provided by PayByPhone, the bidder chosen by the Department of Transportation following a 2011 request for proposals, and the service comes at no taxpayer cost.”

No cost at all because the start up costs, software development, network server time, encryption and PCI compliance, not to mention the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of a complex, outdoor sensor system , and mapping of this information in some user recognizable format are being donated by the kindness of the for-profit company’s hearts.

I’m not saying a system like this wouldn’t work in a town like Goshen, New York (pop. 13,687) or that, assuming this map could be part of your onboard navigation system and spaces could be reserved until you got there, and that everyone else using it or not using it would respect the rules of reserved parking, but right now, biased or not, in New York city I still prefer my own parallelspaces Parking Map.

Whatever their professed promises for this program like ease of parking or simpler mobile paying, you can bet it's about making money: money for private business that are installing and maintaining the sensor and payment systems and more parking revenues for the city from car owners already besieged by high registration and insurance costs, not to mention inflated inspection and repair and wear and tear expenses that all go with having a car in the city.

just sayin...

Parking Scofflaws We Hate (a never ending series)

As stated in this blog before, some parking scofflaws don't add to the city's coffers one bit and so don't garner the attention of the armed posses of collection tow truck drivers roaming our streets. But these drivers irk many of us more,  especially after a half hour of looking, waiting, roaming, talking to yourself and other long departed passengers.

For example:

Aha! you say! You were parked closer to the car in front, but that car has since left and this latest SUV has perpetrated this uncivil, rude, selfish, parking trespass. After all, it is an SUV... (if you get my meaning)

But what if the evidence had already preceded you:

You know who you are!

ALT Side Suspended - Where East Meets West

That's right!

Thanks to the combined religious holidays of Judaism and Christianity, we could (if we felt like it) leave our cars on the street in residential neighborhoods for almost 2 weeks!!!

Check out this Alt Side Calendar for more details:

List of holidays:

Passover (1st/2nd Days)

Holy Thursday

Good Friday

Passover (7th/8th Days)

Parking Scofflaws We Hate

We've all heard of the infamous NYC parking scofflaws. The ones who amass hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. They have a glove compartment full of old tickets; their back seat is papered with orange and white; and the lowliest of them just throw their latest tickets on the street.
Somehow, they don't get towed like the rest of us, seem to be above the reality we live in, even make a funny character in films and TV or the media. Maybe we even root for them, get a vicarious thrill that, at least, someone is getting parking spaces in this town. But the city would have us believe they are scourge of legal street parking everywhere. Maybe they are, but there is one kind of parking scofflaw that the city is not interested in. These don't bring in revenue, but in a very real day-to-day way do deprive us of good parking spaces and for no good reason.

Here is a good example:

New York's Toughest Parking Rules

 We're not kidding!

The good news is this easily translates to:

NYC Police Auctions. Adventure Part 2: Buying Tips

So now that you've made it to this police auction in some gentrifying corner of the city, how do you, a non-mechanic, decide if you want to bid on a car that you cannot even start? The usual used car buying indicators are a good start. You just have to weigh them a little more heavily.

Of course you want to look at the odometer, and having a Kelley Bluebook, Edmunds, or other used car buying guide will put a reasonable dollar value on that mileage for that make and model. It may also be the one thing that pulls you back from the edge. You would be amazed how easily the excitement and competition (even anger) of bidding causes the calmest to go high roller. A price guide can reveal just the moment when auction fever has set in and you need to get out. When the price of that perfect car you always wanted soars way past common sense, you need to know it.

Some bidders see a gorgeous paint job and a set of Alpine speakers and passionate romance flares. They might get lucky, but that expensive tabloid breakup is their own fault. Others are on their 3rd (or more) auction and they are going to win the bid this time or else. Also bidding kamikaze is the guy who has finally found that low mileage Japanese car he craves. But the smartest bidders are knowledgeable about more than one make and model of car and patient enough to weather as many bidding storms as you have to. Just by virtue of their age, all these cars will have something that needs fixing, and since they were abandoned, it could be serious. A private-sale book value minus at least $500.00 will give you the room for repairs you might need and with some luck you can do even better and land that great deal you went to all this trouble for. And don't forget the tow and locksmith charges still to come.

The overall condition of the interior and the engine are good indicators of the state of the car: how run down it might be or how well it was maintained. Once in a while you might find maintenance receipts (and history) in a car that was truly loved. But usually you have to rely on your sense of sight and smell and touch. A dirty, greasy engine is a more risky bid. Cut, poorly taped, or spliced wires that often mean dreaded electrical problems or failed emissions tests are even greater risk signs that would always cause me to move on. The condition of belts and hoses (leaking or fraying) demonstrates the previous owner’s commitment to car care and can help you gauge future expenses. Any missing engine parts, even quick fix parts like alternators, compressors, hoses, fanhousing, or air filters show a state of repair, aging or neglect that you probably can't afford. Rust suggests a car that has not been running. 

A simple system of estimating an auction car's worth is the 4 Fs. That is the condition of the four essential fluids (windshield washer not included). Most important is the appearance, smell and feel of the motor oil. All of the blinding speed, intense heat and sheer power of a car engine floats on a paper thin layer of oil and any breakdown of that essential lubrication will cut the life of an engine and can even destroy it. So look carefully at this vital fluid. Is the level right? How dark (less clean) the oil is might tell you if it has been changed regularly (or even just recently) and how consistent the engine lubrication has been. Is there anything funky in it, like water? Could be a head gasket problem. The feel of it between your fingers should be smooth. You don’t want to feel any metal filings in there which can mean serious engine wear. Smell it. A burnt smell in the oil can reveal oil burning caused by worn rings, an expensive repair.

While you’re sniffing around, you should also look at the power steering fluid. It’s generally red and should also be at the right level, clean, not leaking. Smell it and see if it smells like it's been cooking or burnt, and then dab some on a piece of white paper and check the actual color of it. Check for any unwanted grit.

The same goes for the transmission fluid. New fluid usually comes red. Over time and use it becomes more brownish, but it shouldn't be black. The paper test is also good here. The fluid on the paper should be clean and transparent, without any metal filings or black flakes. By now you may be a little high on fumes but it’s a good idea to also smell your transmission fluid for burning.

Car auction participants are always fond of the green. That’s the radiator fluid which should be brimming with green when you take off the radiator cap. If not at the right level, the car may have been overheating which puts stress on every other internal combustion part. If it is just water, or worse, rusty, that could spell abuse or a car that has been sitting too long.

Other tried and true methods for evaluating a car are pushing and pulling the tires at 10:00 o’clock and 2:00 o’clock. They should be firm without play. The condition of the sidewalls and treads should factor in to your bidding. After all, the tires are where the car meets the road. A quick push of all your weight on each of the corners will test shocks and springs. Finding them too stiff or too bouncy will mean eventual repairs. The brake pedal should not go to the floor. The accelerator should spring back when you take your foot off. How worn the pedals look are a sign of age. Does it have a jack and a spare? The state of the muffler and the undercarriage, in general, are important, so any doctors and disgraced investment bankers should wear their scrubs so they can have a good look.

The above indicators are a good start to show value or warn you about future costs. You may want to check for other signs you read about on the web or in the used car buying guide you will surely have with you. The first serious fluid problem you find is F enough reason for me to move on. If you're more mechanically inclined you may have a higher threshold. Sometimes these warning signs can scare off even the alpha bidders and if the price is crazy low, it might still be worth it, but be prepared for the hassle. Of course, you already noted any garages or mechanics nearby the auction site when you arrived, so in the event you do win a car that needs immediate repairs, you want to have the money to go to one of them to get it running ASAP.

You usually only have a half-hour to look at all the cars so quickly rule out as many as you can. Not as difficult as you might think considering how bad off some of these cars are. Of the ones you do like, try to form an overall impression of value from the information and time you have, what kind of repairs it might need in the first 6 months, etc and stick with it. Ideally, by the time the bidding starts you will have 2 or 3 cars you think are worth bidding on and maximum amounts for each. Then let the gambling begin.

NYC Police Auctions. A NY Adventure. (Part 1 of 3)

We all know about the mythical parking scofflaws. Some are infamous for their hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid parking fines. Their glove compartments, amusingly overstuffed with parking tickets, are the symbols of counter culture legend, and the occasional movie maverick. Even the guy who screwed “the man” by a lifetime lived with a single unpaid ticket from his rebellious 60s has made the local news. Meanwhile, most of us foolish enough to ignore unpaid parking tickets just have our biennial re-registrations denied, or worse, our cars towed or booted by armed posses of city marshalls who then maintain absolute power over our vehicles until we pay up. (Think you were towed? Try here).
Only what if we don’t or can’t pay up? Then our towed cars, trucks or motorcycles that are never reclaimed are sold to the highest bidder in local police auctions that are happening in and around our city every week, sometimes 3 or 4 at a time. The proceeds from each sale go toward paying your overdue fines and, if, after the sale, there is any money still owed, guess what. You are still liable for it. They can still come after you for it, get a judgment on your next car, truck or motorcycle or, even give it to a collection agency! Quite obviously the lesson here is don’t get and, if you do, don’t ignore parking tickets. (Need a parking map, try here).
For NYC residents, these police auctions are a widely reported cautionary tale. If towed cars are not recovered in time (anything more than 10 days is asking for trouble), they can be sold at auctions in various places in some of the darker extremities of our shining city. These auctions are announced in city papers. The VIN numbers, models and years of the cars up for auction are all listed. You can watch these announcements to see when your car is going up for auction, and if you see it, you might still be able to save it, minus the fines and penalties. Otherwise, just hope it goes for a good price.
But who would buy your seized car? What kind of vultures and other predators go to these faraway corners of the city, some that look like you might need police assistance any minute, to bid on your confiscated vehicle? The kind that are weighing the risk of buying the car you abandoned against their automotive knowledge to see if they can get an affordable deal not available anywhere else, the kind to give your otherwise discarded vehicle a new life, and, fortunately for you, the kind that help you lovable outlaws get out from under your outstanding fines. Namely, gearheads, risk junkies, bargain hunters, out-of-work investment bankers and riverboat gamblers… and those are just the ones bidding.
If you know something about cars, you might go to one of them, take a chance on a car and get a pretty good deal but be prepared to travel to some obscure subway stations and have your stamina and wits sorely tested. After seeing the memorable police auction scene in The French Connection, I was determined to try it myself. I was new to the city and didn’t want keep a luxury item on the mean streets of New York. The experience was marathonlike in many ways. It took all day, food and water were scarce, a lot of hidden expenses and other arrangements for the car had to be transacted, but for $150.00, I wound up with a very cool light blue Volkswagon Bug (Hey, this was the 80s) that ran beautifully on 3 cylinders for several years until, of all things, it was stolen anyway.
Unlike the French Connection scene, the majority of these auctions are fairly small with only about 20 – 50 cars. Most of the cars have something wrong with them (like my misfiring cylinder). You have to figure they weren’t left in the clutches of the NYC Dept. of Finance for nothing and it’s up to you to figure which cars need only minor repairs and which will hit you with a whopping bill. Sometimes this is obvious like no rear axel or a missing engine and sometimes it is in the invisible workings of its internal combustion.
The problem with these auctions is that you are not allowed to start the cars. Probably there is some safety reason for not allowing a bunch of NASCAR wannabees start the engines of a lot full of tightly packed automobiles with so many innocent bystanders milling around, and these cars were towed against their owners will, so, of course, new keys would have to be made, but starting a car is the single best way to see how much it is worth and without starting them, even the experts assume a high level of risk. That disadvantage is what can really cost you, but is also what keep a lot of people bidding low.
The tricky part of not starting a car you are buying is the two most potentially expensive repairs, the engine and transmission, are not obvious as they could be in a simple test drive. So gathering up as many other clues you can is important for you to be able to make an intelligent bid. For example, often these auction cars have paperwork on the windshield including the amount of the judgment against the owner. A large judgment is a good sign that the car may be worth something. They would have redeemed it but for the large amount owed. If the judgment is small, and they didn’t even bother to come get it, they may know something you don’t, like about costly needed repairs. You can roll the dice if you like, but after your crack team of investigators signs off on the rest of the vehicle.
The other challenge of these auctions is the NYC Dept. of Finance knows you crave the thrill of bidding and the tests of wills against other bidders when it seems sometimes that you are the only rational person on the planet, so they have organized these auctions like a horserace. You only get a half hour to check out all of the 40 or so cars and gather all of this additional information you need to avoid just throwing your money away. Fortunately, a good many of the cars are so derelict that you don’t have to waste time on them. Some are sold as junk to licensed junkyards. But a good auction has maybe 5 or 10 cars worth bidding on and they have just opened the gate and the crowd is pouring in, so better get looking.
As people push their way to their favorite cars (make and model listed in the paper) only to find that the vehicle has no engine, no seats and was left chainsawed in two as if by some depraved bicycle loving government official, they scramble to other rows and corners to just find something that will get their kids to their grandmothers, get themselves to the beach this summer or, at least, put a roof over their head. The scene can be a little intimidating, but you find a car whose first impression you can live with and then start your forensic investigation, rate the car for bidding and move on to find another. It’s a good idea not to get too attached to any one model because someone else who has fond childhood memories of that same car will likely be bidding against you. The bidding is the wildcard in all this and if you can wait until the dead of Winter to bid on a car, you usually will get better prices. But if you want that car in the Spring or Summer like most, be prepared for larger crowds and more competition. [Still game? Coming soon: a few basics for evaluating auction cars.]