Parking

UncivilServants.org: Cleaning Up Illegal Permit Parking

In New York City, a privileged class of workers numbering in the thousands breaks the law every day by using government-issued permits to park their personal vehicles wherever they want. They disrupt traffic, create safety hazards, and degrade quality of life and, yet, no matter how much people complain, nothing ever seems to change. One study estimates that illegally parked government employees cost the city $46 million annually in unpaid parking fees.

By Aaron Naparstek

12:22 AM EDT on March 15, 2007

In New York City, a privileged class of workers numbering in the thousands breaks the law every day by using government-issued permits to park their personal vehicles wherever they want. They disrupt traffic, create safety
hazards, and degrade quality of life and, yet, no matter how much people complain, nothing ever seems to change. One study estimates that illegally parked government employees cost the city $46 million annually in unpaid parking fees.

Finally, you can do something about it. UncivilServants.org gives anyone with a digital camera and an Internet connection the ability to slap a virtual “ticket” on the windshield of a parking permit abuser. By joining in you help show the full, citywide scope of the problem; car by car, block by block, agency by agency. If the city won’t deal with the problem, you can.

Aaron Naparstek

Aaron Naparstek is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Streetsblog. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Naparstek's journalism, advocacy and community organizing work has been instrumental in growing the bicycle network, removing motor vehicles from parks, and developing new public plazas, car-free streets and life-saving traffic-calming measures across all five boroughs. He was also one of the original cast members of the "War on Cars" podcast. You can find more of his work on his website.

Parking | Street Safety | Traffic Enforcement

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