![Row of cars parked on 38th St. in Manhattan Friday - all adorned with parking tickets that just shouldnt be there. [Photo: Lombard for News]](http://www.vinnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/parki8.jpg "par8")
Manhattan, NY – Stupidity didn’t take a holiday on E. 38th St.
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A traffic agent inexplicably hit at least 10 cars parked along a block in Murray Hill with $115 tickets Friday, even though rules were suspended for New Year’s Day.
When confronted by angry drivers, the meterman refused to back down. Instead, he insisted he was following the orders of a supervisor.
“I think whoever wrote the ticket just got off a spaceship,” howled 50-year-old Ricardo Rocas, a doorman at 160 E. 38th St. “They just arrived on planet Earth and don’t know it’s New Year’s Day.
“Every New Year’s Day we know for a fact we can park there … The guy who wrote the ticket is wrong,” Rocas said.
The strip of cars slapped with tickets were parked in a “No Standing 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. except Sunday” zone between Lexington and Third Aves.
Since New Year’s Day is classified as a major legal holiday, parking should have been permitted in the zone, according to city guidelines.
NYPD officials declined to comment.
Barry Finer, a doorman at 155 E. 38th St., said he’s been parking his car on the street on New Year’s Day for more than two decades – and not once has he gotten a ticket.
“I’ve been working here for 20 years, and I know there are six holidays when we can park on the street. New Year’s Day is one of them,” said Finer, 50, who gained acclaim as the city’s “singing doorman” earlier this year when he released his own album.
About 10:20 a.m., Finer confronted the agent after he ticketed his silver Nissan SUV. The encounter left the longtime doorman fuming.
“He said his supervisor told him to do it,” Finer said. “This guy is a veteran. He’s supposed to know it’s a holiday and parking is suspended.”
Bosko Savanovic, 50, a handyman from Queens, appeared dumbfounded when he walked up to his Dodge Caravan and spotted a ticket on its windshield.
“Are you kidding? Are you kidding?” Savanovic said. “This is definitely not the way to start the New Year. “I never come in my car, but I took it today because it’s a holiday.”
What Savanovic found especially perplexing is that no tickets were given to any cars on the opposite side of the street.
The cars on adjacent blocks also appeared to be spared.
Gabriel Shaw, 54, a porter at 155 E. 38th St., wasn’t so lucky.
Though he usually takes the train from his Queens home to work, he drove Friday because it was a holiday. “The ticket agent either needs to go back to school or learn English,” said Shaw. “The person should be suspended for sure, and his supervisor should get in trouble, too.”
Maybe it wasnt the agents new year…and thought he can park on His new year only.
And Bloomberg was just sworn in for another four years. Hang in there brothers, this is going to be long one.
Why get into a huff? Mail it in with a letter, I am sure they will all be dismissed and the officer and his supervisor will be getting a letter or notice of their own. Also make a copy of it and frame it!
I got a ticket this year for parking on the “real” rosh hashana and it took several letters and a trip to the traffic bureau to get the ticket invalidated because it is also treated as a major holiday. But since the goiyeshe new year is more important than the yamim naroim, you would think the traffic agent would know.
These agents? always make mistakes and the city and local precincts never tell you what the true law is.. but the mayor wants congestion pricing and to give meter maids more control..
they figure most ppl dont have the time or inclination to fight them, easier to just pay it …”you cant fight city hall”
I hope he and his stupidvisor get canned!
Last Dec 25 I got the same kind of ticket. Of course it was dismissed. But it was still a big pain in the neck to get a letter typed etc. These are the things that get people upset with traffic agents. They should give them a course in common sense.
Do you think the city hires ticket writers with “brains”? That costs extra!!
NYC well understands that too many individuals simply do not have the time or energy to fight many these types of tickets, resulting in additional revenue for the city. It would only be fair that the city punish these supervisors and agents and compensate the victims for the stress!
our goal id to keep out the these wirms out of the big apple. i got a ticket last Jan 04 09 in front of BYA and it was Sunday. The sign indicated “school Days” on ticket the officer wrote “No standing anytime” and on ther complaint area wrote “Jewish school days”. i paid the ticket and fought it. i won and received full refund of $115.00. you must fight your ticket and filed acomplaint against the officer that wrote the ticket. The NYPD called me 8 months later. i advised to disipline that officer
It takes time, money and effort to fight a ticket, but, it is worth it for the satisfaction of proving them wrong.
to # 12 i fought by mail and won
Post the ticket writers name or badge number. it should be on the ticket.
I got a ticket new years day and tracked down a supervisor who allowed me to take a picture of him by my car and just so you know the supervisor was NOT able to explain WHY I recieved a ticket. But he was not able to invalidate it. Also got his badge number too… lets see if I win this fight.