Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
DSCN4119.jpg

The sheer size of this vehicle, which I encountered while walking down Court Street in Brooklyn the other day, was what made me stop and take a picture. As you can see, the traffic enforcement officer's head basically just reaches the hood. (Makes you wonder what the driver's visibility is.)

Right, the traffic enforcement officer. I waited to watch her write a ticket for the vehicle, which had been left idling with no one behind the wheel, blocking a fire hydrant and parked a couple of feet out into the lane of travel (it's a sharrow lane to boot), while its owner apparently made a stop in the bodega.

DSCN4118.jpgBut she just kept walking.

"Aren't you going to write him a ticket?" I asked.

"Can't ticket a placard," she replied with a shrug.

I could barely see up onto the dashboard, but there was some kind of placard there. Then I noticed the letters "VAS" on the plates, which apparently stand for "Volunteer Ambulance Service."

You'd think a Volunteer Ambulance Service member would realize that leaving an unattended vehicle idling is unsafe. You'd think someone trained to save lives might think twice about it. You'd think.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

SCOUT’s Honor: Hochul To Expand MTA Program Pairing Nurses and Cops to Combat Mental Illness in Subways

Gov. Hochul's pitch to state lawmakers follows a nine month-long investigation by Streetsblog into how New York's social safety net struggles to help ill people in the subway.

January 13, 2026

Advance Look: Hochul Offers Major Transportation Policies in 2026 ‘State Of The State’ Speech

Why wait for the governor to start her annual address? We have the goods for you now.

January 13, 2026

State of the State Exclusive: Hochul Will Push ‘Stop Super Speeders’ Bill Through Her Budget

City motorists with a documented pattern of excessive speeding would be required to install speed-limiting devices inside their cars, Gov. Hochul is expected to announce today.

January 13, 2026

Westward Ho! Hochul Proposes to Extend Second Ave. Subway Along 125th Street to Broadway

The westward crosstown extension will connect what is now the Q train to seven different subway lines.

January 13, 2026

Delivery Apps Have Caused $550M In Pay Loss for Workers By Changing How Customers Tip: Mamdani Admin. Report

The average tip on UberEats and DoorDash is just 76¢ per delivery — compared to $2.17 on apps that offer the option to tip before checkout.

January 13, 2026

NJ Pols Want Registration Of Low-Speed E-Bikes, Despite Driver Mayhem

A restrictive e-bike registration bill is one step closer to becoming law in the Garden State.

January 13, 2026
See all posts