Been on a Tuesday/Thursday ASP block in Flatbush for years and I used to be religious about moving the car. Now there are weeks where I look out at 8:20 and half the block hasn't budged. Some of those cars have tickets on the windshield three or four days old. Is everyone just doing the math now? Like, if you only get hit once or twice a week when the sweeper actually comes and the enforcement car passes, it's still cheaper than a monthly spot. But I'm not trying to get booted. Where's the line? Do you still move, or have you gone full ticket budget?

I still move. The street cleaner doesn't always make it down every Tuesday, but the day you decide to sleep in is the day the enforcement car rolls through with the camera van right behind it. I've got a neighbor who tried the 'just pay the ticket' thing and ended up with a stack of envelopes under his wiper and a very loud conversation with a marshal. Not worth the stress.

New here — so if the street cleaning sign says Tuesday 8–9:30, you literally have to sit in the car or circle the block? I moved from out of state in September and I've been paying for a spot because I thought they towed every time. Are tickets really that common vs towing? If you leave it there on a cleaning day, do they only tow if you already have unpaid tickets? Sorry if that's obvious, nobody explained the block rules.

On most blocks, a single street-cleaning violation is just a ticket, not a tow. But it's not a subscription service. The problem with treating the ticket as 'the cost of parking' is that the math changes once you're outside your current ticket cycle. You can get multiple tickets if your car sits there over several cleaning days, and once the vehicle plate accumulates enough unpaid judgment debt, the city can boot and eventually tow. I've also seen outdated registration or an old expired inspection turn a simple ASP ticket into a tow in a hurry, because the enforcement system can run plates.

Moving the car once or twice a week is annoying, but it also makes you notice things: someone hit your bumper, your inspection is due, your battery is dead. That little trip is basically free car care. If you're out of town or sick, that's different—but as a standing plan, I'd move it.

Agree with rent_stab_ric. I did the 'eh I'll eat one' thing once after a late night. Woke up to a ticket plus a street cleaning suspension override because the sweeper did come. Then I had to sit in the car across the street for 20 minutes anyway because my spot was gone. The universe has a sense of humor.

Just to add to the boot/tow question: the risk isn't evenly distributed. On my old block in Astoria, the sweeper and enforcement were almost clockwork, so the 'I'll just pay' crowd got hit every single T/TH. On a different block a few blocks over, the no-standing hours were enforced lightly and people left cars for days. The people who got into real trouble were usually the ones who ignored the orange boot sticker or had a plate that came up for something else during a sweep.

Also, if you do move, don't just double-park with the hazards on—on some streets they'll ticket for standing outside a marked spot even during ASP. The better move is to go around the block and line up behind the sweeper or wait in a legal spot on the side that's already been cleaned.

Glad I'm not crazy. I still move because my landlord has cameras on the corner and the one time I stayed put, the ticket was on my windshield before the sweeper even made the turn. But I've also seen cars on my block sit Monday to Friday with a ticket every single day and nobody boots them. Maybe because the ticket frequency keeps the debt from 'finalizing'? The plate thing makes sense though.

That camera van is real. On my block the city's been using a white van with the little dome on top and it doesn't even slow down. You can't sweet-talk it. I move for the Tuesday spot but Thursday I'll sometimes park on the 'already swept' side if I'm up early. Saves me a trip around the block.

Ok that's helpful. Follow-up—if I'm out of town for a week, is it better to just eat the tickets or find a garage? My street has Tuesday and Friday cleaning, so would I come back to two tickets or three? I'm trying to figure out if garage price is worth it.

Firstwinter, if you're gone for a whole week, I'd do the garage or ask a neighbor with a driveway. Two cleaning days can turn into four if the sweeper comes plus a make-up day, and if they get a wild hair they can boot. Also, snow or a special cleaning can make it worse. It's not a ticket for the whole week—it's per posted no-standing period.