Parking placards are one of the great mirages of the city, but one that provides the proverbial water more often than not; even though a large amount of them aren't official and carry zero legal protections, and despite a large crackdown by Bloomberg in the past two years, any dashboard decoration that looks semi-official can intimidate officers into giving the owner a pass. And now, you too can own one of these immobile treats!
Streetsblog takes you through the steps: if you're an MD, which covers podiatrists, chaplains, dentists, acupuncturists and lawyers, among others, you can send a copy of your medical license, diploma, resume, and a $250 check to Amtrak Police Lodge #189, an affiliate of the Fraternal Order of Police based in Maple Shade, New Jersey. You also agree to treat members of the lodge. They'll designate you an "Amtrak Police Surgeon" and send along an "unofficial" parking placard that looks suspiciously like an official document.
If you don't want to become an Amtrak police surgeon, you could become a member of the Surgeon Division of the New York State Police Investigator Association, a local of the International Union of Police Associations, which has the same requirements. The Police Investigator Association's Jim O'Connor explained his view of the placards: "It's just a courtesy placard, it doesn't give you any specific rights." Both programs are administered by Dr. Sheldon Werner of Wappingers Falls, New York, so a third step might be to befriend the hell out of him.
