By Sam Schwartz
Dear Transit Sam,
I was getting picked up to head to the airport last week when my driver told me he received a ticket. I told the driver I would ask you for some advice. He pulled into a muni-meter space, paid for 15 minutes of parking and waited to pick me up. In the ten minutes or so he was waiting, he received a ticket for not feeding the muni-meter when he actually did. The driver tried to show the traffic agent the receipt, but the agent wouldn’t listen. If he pleads not guilty and includes a copy of the muni-meter receipt, will he be found not guilty?
Tim, Tribeca
Dear Tim,
From what you’re telling me, it sounds like the agent cited the driver for “Failure to Display” a muni-meter receipt. Section 4-08 (h) (10) (ii) of the New York City Traffic Rules states that “no person shall, in any parking space controlled by a muni-meter, park a vehicle without displaying a payment receipt in the windshield.” The receipt must be clearly visible for the agent making his/her rounds. Unfortunately, the agent that happened to ticket the driver didn’t seem to have much patience from what you’re telling me. So to answer your question, I think he’ll be found guilty.
Transit Sam
Dear Transit Sam,
As a taxi driver, I do my best to accommodate where my passengers want to be dropped off. Recently, I was dropping off a passenger on Hudson St., and there was nowhere to pull over. There were cars parked at the curb with a bike lane adjacent to it. So I pulled into the bike lane. As the customer was settling up and getting ready to jump out of the cab, an officer issued me two tickets. One ticket was for blocking the bike lane. The other was for stopping where prohibited. Should I fight these tickets?
Mo, Hudson St.
Dear Mo,
As a former cabbie myself, I can understand where you’re coming from, trying to make the paying customer satisfied. But, if I were still driving today, I would’ve dropped off my passenger outside the bike lane. No one can block a bike lane, even to drop off or pick up expeditiously, since it’s also a “no stopping” zone. However, I don’t think you deserved two tickets. Plead guilty on one summons and ‘not guilty’ on the other (and also include a copy of the check used to pay one summons as proof of payment on the not guilty plea). I’m optimistic for a dismissal on the second ticket. Let me know how it turns out.
Transit Sam
Dear Downtown Express/Transit Sam readers,
It’s been a great first year as Transit Sam, and I’m looking forward to many more to come! Please keep any concerns, questions or comments related to Downtown traffic, travel or transit, coming my way. Feel free to e-mail me anytime at TransitSam@downtownexpress.com. Happy New Year!
Transit Sam
Sam Schwartz, a former first deputy commissioner of city transportation, is president and C.E.O. of Sam Schwartz Engineering, a traffic engineering consulting firm to private and public entities including the Port Authority at the World Trade Center site.
