NEW YORK — Someone used Congressman Adriano Espaillat’s business card to make a fake parking permit and it seems to be working.
Craig Toocheck, an urban designer and transportation advocate spotted the placard Wednesday on 41st Street and Fifth Avenue, near where he works.
He said he usually sees cars with makeshift placard like orange vests, restaurant menus, and NYPD manuals on their dashboards, but this fake placard stood out.
“What it looked like to me was a folder, probably stickers that you could get online or a gift shop in DC somewhere,” he said. “It was obviously just printed and cut out with stickers and a business card next to a campaign hat.”
V official special permit! pic.twitter.com/JNK3XJkXNc
— Craig Toocheck (@ctoocheck) September 27, 2017
Toocheck added that the city should do a better job of enforcing parking regulations.
The unidentified driver of car with the fake placard doesn't have any parking tickets outstanding.
Records show the car has been ticketed four times since February 2017. The driver owes the city $302 in fines; one for speeding in a school zone and two for running red lights.
Congressman Espaillat responded to the tweet saying the permit is fake and he has notified authorities. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is a fake permit! Thank you for making my office aware. I have notified authorities.
— Adriano Espaillat (@RepEspaillat) September 28, 2017
