New York City, New York municipal employees are abusing official parking permits designed to allow those responding to genuine emergencies or on other official business to avoid parking tickets. The website Uncivil Servants documents the daily abuse of these permits by police, fire and other city government agencies.

"Government permit abuse continues to be an epidemic in New York City, and now anyone with a camera and computer access can help stop this law-breaking," Matthew Roth, spokesman for the website's sponsor, Transportation Alternatives, said.

Although the group's primary interest is reducing the number of cars in the city, it points out that the practice of awarding an estimated 150,000 permits that grant free parking to favored individuals is bad for all motorists. The groups argues that when permit holders on personal business tie up metered spaces for extended periods, local business also suffers. Public safety suffers when city workers park on sidewalks or block fire hydrants and crosswalks. One image (shown) captures a law enforcement officer blocking a fire hydrant while eating lunch at a local restaurant.

New York meter maids have an unwritten policy of not issuing a ticket to any vehicle displaying an official permit. Uncivil Servants also documents the growing use of fake permits to take advantage of this policy.