MyBikeLane

Armored Couriers are permitted to park "anywhere" they need in order to complete their job. They are protected be federal law, and think about what they're carrying, they aren't UPS, or Fed Ex.

Can you point any law that says this?

Armored car drivers generally will not park in a spot where they can be boxed in. That's why they double-park. They don't normally stay in a spot for more than 10 minutes.

Still waiting for that law, if it exists.

I'm not saying it's a law, the company pays the ticket.

In addition to that, no I can't point out any law that states that they can "legally" park anywhere. I don't have to. I am obviously in the industry and while we try not to get in other's way, an "inconvenience" for someone else, could mean my partner's life.

I would like your input though as far as where armored personel should park in your opinion.

If there is no law, then you don't get to say that armored cars are "permitted" to park anywhere. They are not.

Instead, they should park at the curb, where this is often space available. Or, across the street.

Beyond this, if armored car services are concerned with safety, they'd petition the City to dedicate curbside space specifically for armored car services. A win for everybody.

I'm not saying that there isn't a law. There may be, I just don't know it. They park at the curb when possible. They must however, not leave themselves open to being parked in. If they park at the curb and someone double parks them in, they're trapped and they can't allow that. As far as being "permitted", I'll say this, try to find a police officer that will ticket an armored car for double parking or even parking next to a fire hydrant for that matter. I've never found one that would.

Yet the law remains on the side of cyclists who are forced into heavy traffic because of these vehicles collecting money from private businesses. That should never happen at the expense of the safety of others.

The law is not my concern. Cyclists being forced into traffic should never happen? Possibly, but an armored car crew's primary safety concern is that of themselves, and their parters. In most of the photos I've scene posted, I read comments like "they could've parked at the other side of the street". For normal couriers yes, that works. This is a specialized field though. Any armored company has policy that states that you arrive at a stop and place the guard door as close to the customer door as possible. Once a crew member is outside the vehicle, they are not allowed to move until that crew member has returned. People complain so often about armored cars, but they don't take the time to comprehend the gravity of the profession.

"The law is not my concern. "

Sorry, I stopped reading.

That's right. Not when it comes to standing in a bike lane.

dunbar -- you said, "Any armored company has policy that states that you arrive at a stop and place the guard door as close to the customer door as possible."

Well, you are obviously not doing your job, because parking in a bike lane is not "as close ... as possible". Even parking at curbside (which was possible and legal in many of the posts) would not do it.

Instead, why don't you park on the sidewalk? That's just as illegal as parking in the bike lane, yet it puts you as close to the "customer door as possible".

Heck, why stop there? Why not crash into the building and go through the door with the truck?

Come on, really.

Wow, you're really taking this abit far don't you think? As close as possible yes. You still have to make sure that you won't get parked on though. That excludes parking by the curb. The sidewalk? You silly goose, we have to keep the truck on the street, and there are cars parked at the curb, so you wouldn't be able to get back on the street. So much for the sidewalk.

I'd think you guys would love to come crashing through the front of buildings, and the way you write about it, not only would you get away with it but you'd enjoy it too!

This isn't the movies man. I am a professional at what I do. I don't block lanes, or park people in that I don't feel completely necessary. Besides, you're the one who brought up crashing through things. Just tell me this, if you did this for a living, where would you park the truck to keep your partner safe? Keep in mind that you want to have a visual on them from the point they leave the truck and enter the building and vice versa.

You are being hyper-technical with dunbar - the 'spirit' of his comments is totally reasonable: us NYC cyclist ALL have experience cycling IN TRAFFIC, so making an exception for an amored car is truly not a hardship or life threatening, while dunbars repeated comments are that armored car drivers choose spots strategically, in order to maximize safety - and their lives are at risk so we have no right to question that, unless you think he is making it up, etc.