Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests Question on Parking Laws

Today I went to the post office with my mom and had her drop me off in front. She was at a no parking area by the sidewalk with the engine and blinker both on waiting for me. I was in and out and when I walked out there was a Police Officer who I thought was looking at my moms plate. The lady kept her head down writing what I presume now to be a ticket. She started walking towards the side of the car where my mom was and I kind of yelled at a low tone "Hey hold on!" (Maybe she didn't hear me, I suck at "situations") And I got into the car. We looked at her by my mom's window for about 3 seconds and she didn't once look or say anything to us so I told my mom to drive away. We left and she still didn't look or say anything to us.

Was I wrong to assume it is ok to park in a no parking spot as long as the engine is running and the blinker is on? Was she wrong to start ticketing my mom, if that's even what she was doing, without telling her to move the car first?

well, if you get a ticket in the mail that says you drove off, you'll know. Or you can call the dmv and run your plate for outstanding tickets.

"No Parking" means JUST THAT...

NO PARKING.

The officer was well within the law to start writing up a ticket.

But doesn't the car running and being occupied change things at all?

right, but say it was a fire line and a fire truck was coming to use it. My mother could easily and quickly have left since she was in the car with it running, thus not impeding the use of the area.

What about this, You can get a DUI if you are drunk with your keys in the ignition even if the car is stopped, so conversely, shouldn't a "parked car" have the requirement of no keys in the ignition?

I don't think you really understand the law. Sure it's convenient for you to stop in a No Parking zone even if you're going to be "right back". The police don't know that, nor do they care. You're illegaly parked, even if you are in the car. You are parked, and it's an illegal zone. However, if you tuck and rolled in that area, without parking in the no parking zone, maybe you have an argument. But either way, let me reiterate. You were parked in a no parking zone. It doesn't matter if you're car's running, with blinkers, sitting on Dubs with Paris Hilton driving. Parked in a No Parking zone. Clear enough?

Actually I believe that being stopped to the side in the car with the engine running is called "Standing," not parked. Is standing in no parking area illegal? Probably, but I would like to know for sure in some sort of legal document or straight from a Police Officer(I know, I should have asked the woman writing the ticket but I choked.) I'm pretty sure I've always heard people say that it's ok to do what I was doing, the same way that everyone is telling me now in this thread that it isn't. Not to discredit anyone's post because I do appreciate it, but who is absolutely sure that they've read the law somewhere that states that standing is illegal in no parking spot?

This is from the new york state dmv web site, I'm in CT, so I can't say that it applies, but it's something to help my case. Also we were actually stopped in front of a fire hydrant:

PARKING REGULATIONS

What people generally understand as "parking" is legally divided into three categories: parking, standing and stopping.

A NO PARKING sign means you may stop only temporarily to load or unload merchandise or passengers.

A NO STANDING sign means you may stop only temporarily to load or unload passengers.

A NO STOPPING sign means you may stop only in order to obey a traffic sign, signal or officer, or to avoid conflicts with other vehicles.

Besides posted parking, standing and stopping rules, there are statewide rules not always indicated by signs:
Parking, standing or stopping is not allowed:

* Within 15 feet (5 m) of a fire hydrant, unless a licensed driver remains in the vehicle to move it in an emergency.

* On the road side of a parked vehicle ("double parking").

* On a sidewalk or in a crosswalk.

* In an intersection, unless permitted by signs or parking meters.

* On railroad tracks.

* Alongside or opposite road excavations, construction or other obstructions if your vehicle would block traffic.

* Within 30 feet (10 m) of a pedestrian safety zone, unless another distance is marked.

* On a bridge or in a tunnel.

http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/dmanual/chapter07-manual.htm

So looks like it is probably NOT illegal and I may be right. (I started writing the thread and found that new york dmv link halfway through.)

Is that "Clear enough?" (Sorry for the sass but you guys jumped on me pretty good )

This should further your acknowledgement of your error. As it states,

Quote:

---

A NO PARKING sign means you may stop only temporarily to load or unload merchandise or passengers.

---

Your mom unloaded you, waited, and then loaded you. Note the and, not the or, as a pose to the law as written above. In the fire hydrant case, they are referring to the general parking law which says that you may not park within 15 ft of a fire hydrant. This is different from a Fire Lane/No Parking zone. Those zones are designated that way not necessarily because of a close proximity fire hydrant, but because of it's close proximity to a high traffic location where they would need pre-designated area to setup.