Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson was walking around Manhattan one day last summer feeling what he describes as "a little sympathy for what it must be like to be a ticket writer in this town." He turned on his ever-present video camera and began shooting illegally parked cars and the variety of placards, badges and hand-scrawled notes left on their dashboards in an attempt to avoid a summons. With City Hall getting ready to reduce official parking placards by 20 percent and reorganize the way parking government parking privileges are managed, this latest Streetfilm is worth a minute of your time.
Clarence Eckerson
Streetfilms: Excuses
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog New York City
INTERVIEW: MTA Chair Janno Lieber Talks to Streetsblog to Mark Four Years at the Top
The MTA chairman talked with Streetsblog about his tenure, congestion pricing, bus stops, Babe Ruth and more.
January 21, 2026
OPINION: To Move Past the ‘Agony and Terror’ of the Adams Years, DOT Must Lean Into Research
Ex-Mayor Adams sandbagged DOT's capacity to explain why it pursue street redesigns in the first place, and the ability to inform New Yorkers, in clear and honest terms.
January 21, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines: Talk is Cheap Edition
We're hawking half-priced tickets to a New York Focus transportation event. Plus other news.
January 21, 2026
Central Park Changes Have Eased Crossings for Pedestrians, New Data Shows
Pedestrians are waiting less time to cross the bustling six-mile loop after the city shortened crossing distances and replaced "stop" lights with yellow "yield" signals.
January 20, 2026
Memo to Mamdani: Rescind Central Park’s New 15-MPH Bike Speed Limit
The lower speed limit misapplies state law and sets a troubling precedent for cycling in New York City.
January 20, 2026
