Exclusive | NYC drivers hit with record number of tickets for maddening parking scam — and this borough is worst

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Metropolis drivers had been slapped with a document variety of tickets final yr for illegally utilizing visitors cones to attain coveted parking spots — however even their critics say the scofflaws deserve some sympathy.

The Sanitation Division dished out 533 traffic-cone-obstruction violations in 2025 after an equally record-setting 7,208 complaints had been made about them to 311, in line with a Publish evaluation of metropolis knowledge.

Final yr’s greater than 530 cone-related summonses — issued primarily in Queens — represented a virtually 6% enhance from 2024, when 470 had been doled out, an nearly 100% leap from the 287 in 2023 and a few 900% hike from the 60 in 2022.

The town final yr issued a document variety of tickets to scofflaws illegally saving parking spots with visitors cones. Helayne Seidman

The parking problem turned so heated final yr {that a} mom and daughter attacked a school scholar over a parking spot “reserved” by a neighbor with a rubbish can within the Ridgewood part — an assault caught on viral video.

“Individuals will park anyplace,” griped Rob Ennis, a 51-year-old resident of Glendale, Queens.

“The folks subsequent to me, they put out orange cones in locations they shouldn’t. I needed to battle with [other drivers] about it as a result of they had been taking on authorized spots.”

A 42-year-old Ridgewood resident named JM stated he’s heard of handicap walkers getting used to order native spots — and has thought of placing out cones himself.

“I’ve seen [cones] about 4 occasions elsewhere, and I take them and transfer them,” he stated.

An unlawful visitors cone is parked on a road in Glendale, Queens — the borough that by far has essentially the most scofflaws. Jennifer Bain for The NY Publish

Nonetheless, “it’s normally an hour to discover a parking spot,” JM stated.

“Generally I've no alternative and have to depart it in entrance of a hearth hydrant,” he stated of his automobile. “I’ve lived right here 30 years, and prior to now 10 years, it’s change into overcrowded.”

Queens represented greater than 70% of the town’s traffic-cone violations issued in 2025, with 380 summonses handed on the market. Out of 1,376 summonses issued throughout the Massive Apple since 2020, 1,000 got out in Queens, knowledge present.

Queens Councilwoman Joann Ariola has blamed lax enforcement and restricted area — with spots devoured by bike lanes and parking guidelines — on the rise in unlawful parking.

Illegally parking is a scourge within the Massive Apple. Helayne Seidman

“It’s been occurring for years,” stated a 21-year-old Queens driver, Alex, of the cone-saving scofflaws.

However he stated he’s sympathetic to the legislation violators.

“It’s so exhausting to park round right here,” he stated, “I perceive folks utilizing cones to save lots of parking spots.”

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Native plumber Flori Kasa, 33, stated she simply takes issues into her personal palms.

“I transfer them, that’s it,” Kasa stated whereas parking a automobile on Forest Avenue in Ridgewood.

“No person will get to take a spot with cones. I pay taxes. I don’t blame folks for placing out cones, nevertheless it’s exhausting for me to park,” Kasa stated.

The town says it's typically exhausting to ticket folks over cones as a result of it has to show the orange objects are theirs. Helayne Seidman

The Queens resident recalled one confrontation she had with a lady standing in a parking spot to order it.

“She stated she was saving it. I stated, ‘No, you’re not, I’m going to park there.’ I wouldn’t transfer, she wouldn’t transfer. I stayed there one hour — [and] I bought the spot.”

Sanitation reps advised The Publish that visitors cones positioned on the sidewalk or road are thought of an unlawful obstruction and due to this fact warrant administrative summonses with fines of as much as $200 for repeat offenders.

However whereas greater than 25,000 cone-related complaints have been made to 311 since 2020, violations had been issued simply over 5% of the time, The Publish’s evaluation discovered.

“To ensure that us to problem a summons for this, the proprietor of the cones has to acknowledge that the cones are theirs,” a Sanitation Division rep stated.

“We do examine complaints for this by visiting the house and talking with the home-owner. In the event that they declare possession of the cones, we are going to problem a summons for road obstruction. … If they don't declare the cones as their very own, we are going to merely take them away.”