5 ms·

It seems like there was some favoritism towards a city employee, which if true would be bad. The person covering their license plate should face consequences re

It seems like there was some favoritism towards a city employee, which if true would be bad. The person covering their license plate should face consequences regardless of their position or connections (and possibly even fired from their job). But quite frankly this bicyclist is in the wrong here. In general, if you are going to put your hands on other people, or their stuff, you better be prepared to explain how doing so was necessary and that you had no alternative. The only thing in danger here is city revenue (it's not like the fines were improving the driver's driving). This sort of busy-body vigilantism is tedious.

hahaxdxd123 4y ago
40,000 people die in America every year from car collisions. Accountability is necessary.
- lliamander 4y ago
  Non-sequitor. There's no evidence that the actions taken were either necessary or even efficacious.
  - mjmsmith 4y ago
    The NYPD arrests people for avoiding a $3 subway fare, but does nothing about defaced license plates which avoid much higher fines and tolls. It's lazy or corrupt (probably both) and actions like this are one way to draw attention to the situation.
    - lliamander 4y ago
      Sounds like the NYPD have an incentives problem.
      - mjmsmith 4y ago
        You could say that. https://twitter.com/placardabuse https://twitter.com/placardabuse
    - rufus_foreman 4y ago
      3 million people a day ride the subway. 12.5% evade the fare. How many of those 375,000 people a day is the NYPD arresting?
      - mjmsmith 4y ago
        What is your point? The NYPD makes a big deal about cracking down on fare evasion [1] but do nothing about defaced license plates and fake placards, in part because they and their friends are offenders. [1] https://www.curbed.com/2022/04/nypd-fare-evasion-arrest-increase.html https://www.curbed.com/2022/04/nypd-fare-evasion-arrest-incr...
  - hahaxdxd123 4y ago
    Why is that a non-sequitur? Suppose no car had a driver's license and therefore little to no accountability - is that a better world?
Wowfunhappy 4y ago
> In general, if you are going to put your hands on other people, or their stuff, you better be prepared to explain how doing so was necessary and that you had no alternative. He was prepared—he took photographs. The police reportedly ignored them.
- lliamander 4y ago
  Photographs prove the other person's behavior was illegal, not that his own actions were justified.
  - Wowfunhappy 4y ago
    The cyclist's actions were justified by the driver's illegal behavior. The cyclist needed to report a car with an obscured license plate. To do that, he needed to know the car's license plate. This is of course a catch-22, so the cyclist removed the obstruction in order to see the plate. I could understand if both the driver and the cyclist were arrested (although I'd be very disappointed if the cyclist was actually charged), but arresting the cyclist and not the driver is nuts! Obscuring your license plate should be treated as a serious crime.
    - lliamander 4y ago
      > but arresting the cyclist and not the driver is nuts! Obscuring your license plate should be treated as a serious crime I agree that leaving the driver off the hook is nuts.
kazinator 4y ago
> possibly even fired from their job That's just crazy vindictive, unless that was a company car. > if you are going to put your hands on other people, or their stuff Serious question: whose property is a license plate in NYC? > it's not like the fines were improving the driver's driving The belief that one is operating with impunity can plausibly influence their behavior.
- lliamander 4y ago
  > That's just crazy vindictive, unless that was a company car. From what I understand, the driver was a government employee. Flagrant violation of the law should be grounds for dismissal for any government employee.
freejazz 4y ago
>The only thing in danger here is city revenue (it's not like the fines were improving the driver's driving). This sort of busy-body vigilantism is tedious. There's something like 9 deaths resulting from hit 'n' runs by cars with obscured plates just like this one, in NYC right now this past year. You could not be further from correct. Do you live in NYC? Do you have insight into how unsafe the streets are because of this exact conduct? Doesn't seem like.
- lliamander 4y ago
  > There's something like 9 deaths resulting from hit 'n' runs by cars with obscured plates just like this one, in NYC right now. There were roughly 200 vehicle fatalities and 200,000 collisions for all of NYC in 2018. Numbers always benefit from context. > Do you have insight into how unsafe the streets are because of this exact conduct? Not because of this conduct. Dangerous driving may correlate with this conduct (and honestly covered plates should probably result in the car being forfeited) but it doesn't cause collisions. Again, if you are putting your hands on other people or their stuff, you should be prepared to explain why it was necessary for you to take that action
  - freejazz 4y ago
    >Not because of this conduct. Dangerous driving may correlate with this conduct (and honestly covered plates should probably result in the car being forfeited) but it doesn't cause collisions. How do you know? You are in the mind of the people that drive like this? You have reason to believe that the fact that they can avoid repercussions does not leave them feeling entitled to undertake such conduct? Must be amazing to have such wisdom. The reality is that you are being obtuse and a bad neighbor.
    - lliamander 4y ago
      You sure ask a lot of questions, are you expecting answers to all of them? Look, there's no mind-reading involved. What I am saying is that covering your license plate is clearly not the same as (for example) using your phone while driving - which clearly does casually related to traffic collisions. You are correct that someone who covers their plates might feel free to take more risks, but it could just as well be that this person would be a terrible driver regardless.

hahaxdxd123 4y ago

40,000 people die in America every year from car collisions. Accountability is necessary.

lliamander 4y ago
Non-sequitor. There's no evidence that the actions taken were either necessary or even efficacious.
- mjmsmith 4y ago
  The NYPD arrests people for avoiding a $3 subway fare, but does nothing about defaced license plates which avoid much higher fines and tolls. It's lazy or corrupt (probably both) and actions like this are one way to draw attention to the situation.
  - lliamander 4y ago
    Sounds like the NYPD have an incentives problem.
    - mjmsmith 4y ago
      You could say that. https://twitter.com/placardabuse https://twitter.com/placardabuse
  - rufus_foreman 4y ago
    3 million people a day ride the subway. 12.5% evade the fare. How many of those 375,000 people a day is the NYPD arresting?
    - mjmsmith 4y ago
      What is your point? The NYPD makes a big deal about cracking down on fare evasion [1] but do nothing about defaced license plates and fake placards, in part because they and their friends are offenders. [1] https://www.curbed.com/2022/04/nypd-fare-evasion-arrest-increase.html https://www.curbed.com/2022/04/nypd-fare-evasion-arrest-incr...
- hahaxdxd123 4y ago
  Why is that a non-sequitur? Suppose no car had a driver's license and therefore little to no accountability - is that a better world?

Wowfunhappy 4y ago

> In general, if you are going to put your hands on other people, or their stuff, you better be prepared to explain how doing so was necessary and that you had no alternative. He was prepared—he took photographs. The police reportedly ignored them.

lliamander 4y ago
Photographs prove the other person's behavior was illegal, not that his own actions were justified.
- Wowfunhappy 4y ago
  The cyclist's actions were justified by the driver's illegal behavior. The cyclist needed to report a car with an obscured license plate. To do that, he needed to know the car's license plate. This is of course a catch-22, so the cyclist removed the obstruction in order to see the plate. I could understand if both the driver and the cyclist were arrested (although I'd be very disappointed if the cyclist was actually charged), but arresting the cyclist and not the driver is nuts! Obscuring your license plate should be treated as a serious crime.
  - lliamander 4y ago
    > but arresting the cyclist and not the driver is nuts! Obscuring your license plate should be treated as a serious crime I agree that leaving the driver off the hook is nuts.

kazinator 4y ago

> possibly even fired from their job That's just crazy vindictive, unless that was a company car. > if you are going to put your hands on other people, or their stuff Serious question: whose property is a license plate in NYC? > it's not like the fines were improving the driver's driving The belief that one is operating with impunity can plausibly influence their behavior.

lliamander 4y ago
> That's just crazy vindictive, unless that was a company car. From what I understand, the driver was a government employee. Flagrant violation of the law should be grounds for dismissal for any government employee.

freejazz 4y ago

>The only thing in danger here is city revenue (it's not like the fines were improving the driver's driving). This sort of busy-body vigilantism is tedious. There's something like 9 deaths resulting from hit 'n' runs by cars with obscured plates just like this one, in NYC right now this past year. You could not be further from correct. Do you live in NYC? Do you have insight into how unsafe the streets are because of this exact conduct? Doesn't seem like.

lliamander 4y ago
> There's something like 9 deaths resulting from hit 'n' runs by cars with obscured plates just like this one, in NYC right now. There were roughly 200 vehicle fatalities and 200,000 collisions for all of NYC in 2018. Numbers always benefit from context. > Do you have insight into how unsafe the streets are because of this exact conduct? Not because of this conduct. Dangerous driving may correlate with this conduct (and honestly covered plates should probably result in the car being forfeited) but it doesn't cause collisions. Again, if you are putting your hands on other people or their stuff, you should be prepared to explain why it was necessary for you to take that action
- freejazz 4y ago
  >Not because of this conduct. Dangerous driving may correlate with this conduct (and honestly covered plates should probably result in the car being forfeited) but it doesn't cause collisions. How do you know? You are in the mind of the people that drive like this? You have reason to believe that the fact that they can avoid repercussions does not leave them feeling entitled to undertake such conduct? Must be amazing to have such wisdom. The reality is that you are being obtuse and a bad neighbor.
  - lliamander 4y ago
    You sure ask a lot of questions, are you expecting answers to all of them? Look, there's no mind-reading involved. What I am saying is that covering your license plate is clearly not the same as (for example) using your phone while driving - which clearly does casually related to traffic collisions. You are correct that someone who covers their plates might feel free to take more risks, but it could just as well be that this person would be a terrible driver regardless.