By Gabriela Resto-Montero
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — What's the deal with those parking passes anyway?
A driver for comedian Jerry Seinfeld was taken to task for using an expired NYPD parking pass to grab a free spot in front of the studios where the comedian is recording his new show, "The Marriage Ref", the New York Post reported.
Retired NYPD Narcotics Sgt. Timothy Gallagher, Seinfeld's driver, used a parking placard issued to a female detective at a Bronx precinct to park in front of the West 57th street studios, according to the Post.
The placard expired in 2007, according to CBS2, which caught Gallagher in the act.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg cut back on the number of free passes given to city employees in 2008 after residents complained the passes were an abuse of power, the New York Times reported.
The placards, including the one used by Gallagher, were meant to be used around the workplaces of permit holders. That restriction means that Seinfeld would have to be a narcotics officer in the Bronx in 2007 in order for the pass to be lawful.
Reporters questioned Bloomberg about how Seinfeld obtained the permit in the first place.
"I have no idea," Bloomberg said.
A representative for Seinfeld said the comedian was not aware of the infraction, which carries a small fine, and that Gallagher was in no danger of losing his job.
"Now that it has been brought to our attention, it will not be used again," said Elizabeth Clark Zoia, a spokeswoman for Seinfeld told the paper.
