Can’t Find Parking? Just Leave it in the Street

A photograph Ned posted two days ago, showing a silver minivan and a sedan in a strange perpendicular accident, prompted me to post this even stranger photo of a minivan parked in the middle of the street. Although the minivan was not involved in an accident, there were a few near misses as visibly confused drivers passed by doing double takes.

This Honda Odyssey minivan was seen at the intersection of East 12th Street and Sheepshead Bay Road on Monday night. It was parked many feet away from the “curb.” The word curb is placed into quotation marks because it’s more of a turn at the concrete.

The minivan, parked less than a block away from the 61st Precinct building, where Sheepshead Bay Road meets East 12th Street, did not appear disabled or left for a few minutes. Instead, it seemed parked for good and did not have any emergency placard displayed or flashers blinking.

When I contacted 911 (after 311 directed me there), it took a while for them to find it on the map. I later looked it up myself in Google, and after some struggle, found this:

Lo and behold, the Google Maps Street View shows what looks like the same minivan and another car parked in the exact location. There is also a jeep parked at the curb nearby, where there is a hydrant (similar to what was observed this past week).

Apparently, this is a spot where parking is at a free-for-all. Are there any of you out there in need of a parking spot and never want to worry about a ticket? We seem to have hit on a jackpot. Not even a 911 call will get you in trouble for parking here.

Even without the threat of a ticket, would any of you leave your vehicle so vulnerable in the street?