Happy Holidays!

Genius or Outlaw or Genius Outlaw?

 

Our One-of-a Kind Parking Gauge Diagram

 

 

 

Go to parkken.com for more info on parkken Street and Garage Parking App.

Happy Holidays!

 

How NOT to Double Park, Please!

Is it true that some New Yorkers still don't know how to double park?
It's simple: If any of the vehicles legally parked at the curb cannot get out because of your vehicle, you deserve that ticket.

You, who doesn't care, won't share or is ignorantly unaware, this simple graphic is for you:

If you ABSOLUTELY have to park someone in, AT LEAST leave your PHONE NUMBER on the dashboard.

 

More people than just you use NYC streets!

Duh!

Parking Hand Signals (golden oldies)

OK, what is the deal with hand signals? I’m not talking about left turn, right turn types of signals that have become obsolete unless you are limping home with a broken blinker system or just like attention from the NYPD. I’m talking about when you’ve returned from a long weekend and a long drive and have been cruising your neighborhood for a half hour for a parking space, you are driving down a block and, “Eureka!” you spot someone getting into their car. You pull up and, unless you just like to hover and idle your engine for long periods of time, and assuming it is not your teenage daughter and her boyfriend in the car, you query the person on whether they are actually leaving. Those hand signals.
I know we are a multiethnic, multi religious, rainbow colored, many peopled melting pot in the making and in New York so much of it works most of the time. But this brave new experiment has not enabled us to come to an agreement on something as simple as some kind of universal hand signals for leaving/not leaving a parking space. I’ve seen hands going up, hands going down, palms upturned, middle finger extended, hands shooing, fingers fluttering, fingers (or finger) wagging, or nothing at all behind tinted windows so dark that you start to wonder if it wasn’t them who pulled up alongside you. The very same gestures can mean opposite things depending on who is giving them or who is receiving them.
Hand signals are important because we often drive with windows closed, very few drivers are legally blind and can understand visual cues, they are quick and do not require us to have a whole conversation or come to a full stop even. No one wants to hover fruitlessly only to let the row of Sharks (see 5-8-10 post) behind you all pass you by relegating you to the back of the line. So, a quick answer to the obvious question is a useful thing.
Thus, I have conducted a very scientifically extensive, double blind, triple axel (with a twist), 4 wheeled survey of my peers and am proposing a universal set of hand/head signals to indicate your current claim to that parking space where you are squatting.


Courtesy of http://funnyanimatedgifs.net

The nod (smile optional) would be the YES I AM LEAVING and this can include any other message or range of emotions you like, because this news is so good, we are prepared to endure it all knowing we will soon be home and at rest to enjoy a favorite movie or talk to our family or friends. For you more athletic types a thumbs up can sometimes be substituted.

Courtesy of http://www.feebleminds-gifs.com

Holding up 5 fingers to indicate 5 minutes or 10 fingers to indicate 10 minutes. All longer units of time up to and over one hour are not understood to be included in either of these signals. When someone once pointed out a New York minute is about half of everybody else’s, they were obviously talking about a driver waiting for a parking space so please do not abuse this signal. If you are just waiting in your vehicle, and are possessed of divine compassion, you might consider vacating the space and waiting double parked.


Courtesy of http://img150.echo.cx/

In addition to its all important, NO, I AM NOT MOVING primary meaning, the wagging of the index finger to the left and right can also be understood to include an entire rainbow of emotions from “So sorry!” to “Just got here.” to “Can’t I just get a little shut eye without people disturbing me?” I think we owe a debt of gratitude to our Latino parkers here as the wagging finger is a favorite among Hispanic drivers I have seen, and, even though it may make some of us feel like we are misbehaving in class, it seems to be the simplest and easiest understood of hand signals.

Last, but not least. If a driver gets into his or her parked car, but will not answer or even acknowledge your query, maybe won’t even look at you, move on. They have much greater troubles than you.

Please feel free to offer your own suggestions.

Alt Side Reform Still a Mystery?

Last year, Mayor DiBlasio instituted an "Alternate Side Parking Reform." What this reform meant was explained in a press conference where the Reform was defined as applying to "side streets." 

The Dept. of Sanitation (DSNY), which is the real maker of the Street Sweeping rules, made its own announcement. The DSNY posting stated the Reform applies to "residential streets." 

It should be no surprise that the elaborate and complex parking rules of New York City can not be easily modifed by a few carefully worded paragraphs. I had questions. I submitted multiple queries to the DSNY, but their replies have only sent me to the same links or reiterated those same links that raised my first questions.

Now, they don't even respond to my queries and any record of queries EC-00250672 or EC-00296950 has been expunged on the DSNY web site. 

This is query EC-00296950 that the DSNY web site now says never existed in a time that never was:

I am looking for clarification of the Alt Side Reform announced by the Mayor and on your DSNY site. 

 

For example:

In the NYCDOT announcement (and in the Mayor’s press release), we are told “On days when ASP is in effect, residential "side streets" without meters will not be cleaned more than once a week on each side.” 

 

QUESTION 1: There are many Avenues (not “side streets”) where only Alt Side Parking (ASP) is in effect, but they are not “side streets.” (1) Does the Alt Side Reform apply here?

 

QUESTION 2A, 2B and 2C: 

Please see the attached image from the NYC Zoning and Land Use Map for a definition of Commercial and Residential areas. 

There are many Avenue blocks that are “residential” and “side streets” that appear to be “commercial” that have ASP rules.
 

(2A) Does the Alt Side Reform apply here? (2B) How are we to tell what is a “commercial” and what is a “residential” block (or street)?  

 

(2C) How does the Dept of Sanitation (and Ticket Agents) tell what is a “commercial” and what is a “residential” block (or street)? 

 

We know Parking and Alternate Side Rules extend for the block unless contradicted by other signs and/or regulations:

QUESTION 3: Your FAQ says “Non-metered streets that have multiple ASP days will be cleaned” (3) Does the “Reform” apply to the entire block if there are a just a few meters on one end or does it ONLY apply to the area of the block with meters? Another way of asking this is when you refer to “streets” do you consider each block as a unit or do you look at any smaller “metered areas” as separate? 

QUESTION 4: How will it be announced if the city decides to revert to the physical signs posted and not to this “Reform?” 

 

Thank you for taking the time to address these specific questions. Your answers will benefit our users and readers.

 

This EC-00296950 query has not been responded to and according to the DSNY site does not exist in their records.

 

The problem is when you or I try to interpret these relaxed rules, we cannot always be sure a Ticket Agent will see it the same way. Then it's pay the fine (and tow) or face the implacable NYCDOT  judges.

 

I believe we need a better explanation.