New York Could Reward Parking Tattle Tales

A bill under consideration by the New York City Council would launch a program to reward residents who inform authorities of illegally parked vehicles. An article by Caroline Spivack makes liberal use of the word "snitch" and its derivations to describe the kinds of actions that would earn financial reward if the bill is approved.

The bill will set up an online portal for New Yorkers to report  scofflaw drivers illegally parking in bike lanes, bus lanes, and crosswalks and on sidewalks," reports Spivack, with fines potentially costing as much as $175.  The informant would receive 25 percent of that penalty.

Spivak wonder whether New Yorkers are likely to rat on their neighbors enough to make the program effective. It turns out there is a precedent for the idea: The scheme…it riffs on another city program run by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that encourages New Yorkers to tattle on idling truck or bus drivers spewing engine exhaust for more than three minutes."

So far this year, "the city has paid nearly $183,000 to the public for 1,600 idling violations (that’s out of 9,000 complaints) made to DEP (and more cases are working their way through the system)." So, yes, New Yorkers are willing to tattle.