Mar 16, 2023
Some drivers in New York City are flagrantly breaking the
rules, doing things like tampering with their license plates in an
attempt to avoid being detected by red-light and speed
cameras.
The number of scofflaws defacing plates is mushrooming after
the cameras started operating around the clock last August.
Another workaround increasingly used by some motorists are
parking placards. Hundreds of government workers and city
contractors are abusing their city-issued parking placards by
parking illegally, while other are using fake placards. Critics say
placard abuse is costing the city over $100 million per year, and
making streets and sidewalks less usable and more dangerous.
Enter journalist Gersh Kuntzman, a one-man crusader who is
trying to end these trends. He joined Errol to discuss his
“criminal mischief” campaign, which finds him on the streets with a
screwdriver and blue Sharpie marker, regularly restoring defaced
license plates. He’s been capturing his adventures on video and has
become somewhat of a local hero on social media.
He also talked with Errol about congestion pricing, his blog
Streetsblog NYC and a new campaign called “March Madness,” which
takes a look at suspect parking practices at some local police
precinct houses.
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