World

NYC's uncivilservants.org sticks it to the man

by Kaitlin | March 16, 2007 at 06:28 am

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New Yorkers are an independent bunch. Nowhere else in the world is a city so built for individuals (at least none that I've encountered yet). But the interesting thing about the independent spirit that seems to define New Yorkers is that it comes together in such a magnificent way: individuals form a mob, and that mob says "let's protect each other!" Remember that scene in SpiderMan when everyone throws stuff at the Green Goblin and tells him to back off, because this is their city and they won't stand for it? Well, uncivilservants.org is kinda like that, only instead of the Green Goblin they're protecting their city from, it's...government permit holders?

Well, not always. The site asks people to post their encounters both with city permit abusers (police officers, court officers and the press are the worst offenders, according to the site) and city permit fakers, like this one below:

These are impressive-looking blue permits, nicely laminated with a Staples-quality gold embossed seal of the NYCTA. They are especially great to use when your spouse wants to go shopping in SoHo, as seen here today opposite the A/X Armani Exchange on Prince Street. This block is a favorite for shoppers, particularly for SUVs with ambulette permits from various Hasidic charitable organizations in Brooklyn. I recently accosted one shopper displaying a placard obviously created on her home computer, stating: "That is the fakest permit I ever saw!" Her reply? "Works every time!"

According to the site, 77% of permit holders abuse their permits. Now, this website (which displays photos of the uncivil vehicles in question, often with full license plate numbers) plans to attack that percentage the only way New Yorkers know how: one individual at a time.