New York City – Irate, conniving motorists vandalized so many parking meters last year that the total number in operation citywide fell to the lowest level since at least 2000, officials said yesterday.
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Figures in the preliminary Mayor’s Management Report show that just 83.9 percent of the 55,000 on-street meters were working from July 1 to Oct. 31, 2009.
That’s down sharply from the 90 percent average that had held steady through the last decade.
Officials said some drivers “beat up” meters or jammed coin slots to protest parking-fee hikes.
Others jammed meters to take advantage of a new law enacted by the City Council allowing parking at an inoperable meter for as long as time-limit sign allows, instead of just one hour. The law took effect last March.
William Farrington
William Farrington
A City Council official said the management report’s explanation didn’t make much sense, since motorists could easily have pulled the same stunt before the new law was enacted.
“[The city] might not be repairing them as fast,” the official speculated.
The Department of Transportation reported that it has allocated additional resources to inspect and repair meters, and expects things to get back to normal quickly.
American cities suffering from vandalised parking meters could take an etzah from London.
Over here, drivers do not have to insert coins into parking meters; instead they call the parking department, tell them the serial number of the meter they want to use and for how long, and their bank accounts are debited automatically.
Result: no more vandalism, easier parking and the city continues to make money! Everybody happy – except for the ganavim!
Does anybdy know what exactly those evil motorists are doing to siable the parking meter and how they are doing it? Any special tools? And where do those evil motorists buy them? Just curious.
All so called vandals keep up the good work for it saves city residents thousands of dollars in parking fines + it also keeps city workers employed those that fix these things
Kain Yirbu. It is time to stop the city from stealing all this money from us.
Finally, the revolution is coming. We are all sick and tired of being nickeled and dimed to death. And when thats not enough, we get prohibitive fines of $130.00 for an expired meter that was changes to 20 minutes from 30 minutes. Enough is enough. Break all the meters and when you see a meter dreck in the area, do a mitzvah and pop a quarter in the meter to save a ticket. Time to revolt the Bloomberg insanaty . Its becoming impossible to survive in this city.
I saw someplace in NJ a sign saying if the meter is not working its not allowed to park there. This in NYC should fix this problem fast.
Put a quarter half way in and hold it there for a minute. Fail will pop up. Enjoy!!!!!!
al tiftach pe lasatan but… why can’t they use those money meter machines where you put a receipt on the dashboard?
If there is no. parking rules u will never find a spot on 13th ave or ave j or lee ave etc
I am surprised that they don’t know the reason for so many broken meters lately. It is very simple and I have heard this analysis from many people.
The reason is that they changed it from 25 cents for half an hour to 25 cents for twenty minutes (in some areas from 10 minutes to 7 1/2 minutes), so they are filling up much quicker but they aren’t empting out more often which leads to more broken meters.
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Just a helpful note, if you got a summons for an expired meter don’t panic call 311 and report the parking meter as broken (you don’t need to brake the meter its unlawful) they will ask you the meter # normally I say that the meter shows working but is not recharge after you insert the coin, on the back of the summons check the box not guilty and broken meter normally it gets dismissed
I am horrified by all these comments. It’s people like you who raise unethical children and then when they get arrested they say oh what a pity!!!! What even brings you to even have such thoughts let alone post it!!!!
have you nothing else on your mind??
while there are machlokesim amongst the rabbonim as to the extent of dina dimalchusa dina, i do not know of any major poskim who state that a government cannot tax its citizens, which is what a parking meter is by extension, with the possible exception of when the the tax unfairly targets jews, which i doubt parking meaters fall under, nor that it cannot fine people for breaking its laws (sheva mitzvos benei noach), and id be interested to see a posek who would hold that doing this is not geneivah/gezeilah (both forbidden under sheva mitzvos as well as, if ch”v there are jews involved in this, numerous torah prohibitions), while one could make an argument that these meters are unjust, i cant think of an argument, with the exception of a broken meter, why they are not fair, the government has strict, well known, standards as to what the law is and consistently give the same punishments for following them, interested to see any alternative halachic points of view, i request mechila from anyone if offended, tmts”a- gavi
Can someone tell me just which gadol hatorah has paskened that it is permissible to damage, to corrupt, to steal from or otherwise to sabotage parking meters?
Try as I may I just cannot find a single reference in any sefer that permits anash to violate a direct commandment from HaShem: “AL TIGNOV”!
No wonder the goyim hate you.
The billionaire bum should have only out of state plates pay at the meters. As one who is heavily taxed living in this decrepit place offering little services, I say that only outsiders should have to pay at parking meters. Until then, keep on breaking the meters. Kain Yirbu.
Parking meters are only in shopping areas and benefit the local shops. So thank you Mr Blumberg for installing them.
The VIN blog is an excellent place for theoretical discussions to take place. It is also an ideal place to measure our public opinion about various matters. The resentment against seemingly unfair parking meters and their oftentimes targeted ticketing is apparent. Whether Jews, in Boro Park, Flatbush, and Williamsburg, are spefically being targeted is borne out by public statistics. If that, indeed, is part of the parking-meter-ticketing strategy, then, by all means, many would feel justified making social protests. Those protests could be a blog entry here or causing a meter to malfunction (preferably without damaging the meter or vandalizing it). The art of governing is to either make everyone happy or equally unhappy. Thank you VIN !!!!
For those who really have the urge to destroy city property to save 25 cents or a dollar just take notice that the City has under cover detectives at known spots were meters get broken by drivers. Just a reminder..My nephew got busted on Coney Island Ave. between Ave. K and L…Now read this..his 25 cents cost him being arrested,being held in central booking for 29 hours, a criminal lawyer which took a $15,000 retainer and b”h his case was dismissed on a technical error. Now every one make your self a cheshbon if 25 cent savings is worth all this…Sof Ganef Letlieh.
Except for the chilil hashem and bishes this caused his family….
Breaking a meter is a very selfish act of vandalisim…Why shouldnt you pay your share of having the privilage to park and do your shopping,banking,or any other run arounds..I try most of the time to park on 13th ave. and usually with NO luck..If i cant find a spot i drive to 16th ave. and try my luck there..I have seen store owners parking all day at Failed meteres and leaving no room for their customers to park..Just take your business to another avenue or some store who has parking…