Bicycling

$115 $230 Summons for NASCAR Driver #19 Elliott Sadler

Apparently parallel parking doesn't count for much in the NASCAR leader standings. Or maybe it does and that's why Elliott Sadler, the driver of car #19, angle-parked across the Sixth Avenue bike lane in Midtown this morning, is currently ranked 25th. (ADD: I just noticed that Elliott is also parked in front of a fire hydrant).

By Aaron Naparstek

12:08 PM EST on November 28, 2007

Apparently parallel parking doesn’t count for much in the NASCAR leader standings. Or maybe it does and that’s why Elliott Sadler, the driver of car #19, angle-parked across the Sixth Avenue bike lane in Midtown this morning, is currently ranked 25th. (ADD: I just noticed that Elliott is also parked in front of a fire hydrant).

The NYPD can go ahead and walk the ~~$115~~ $230 summons over to Elliott’s sponsor, Citi Group, on Park and 54th. He’s won $3,972,990 this year so he’s probably not going to fight it. Oh, wait: The NYPD is too busy detaining, harassing and scaring the crap out of bike commuters to do traffic enforcement during “Gridlock Alert” season. Almost forgot.

Transportation Alternatives Deputy Director Noah Budnick waxes philosophical over the whole thing:

What does it mean to promote an event that glorifies and promotes (dangerous) driving on city streets at a time of year when the City is actively trying to discourage driving?

Photo: Paul Steely White

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.