The New York Post e-Edition

BEGGARS BE‘LEAF’

Plate scofflaws’ shady scheme

By MATTHEW SEDACCA

These scofflaws are going out on a limb.

Brazen Big Apple drivers, including city employees, have been spotted around town obscuring their license plates with autumn leaves (like these, left) to evade tolls and red-light and speeding cameras.

“You could tell right away, if you’re doing 70 miles an hour and that leaf is sticking to the plate,” said Daniel DeCrescenzo Jr., president of MTA Bridges and Tunnels, of when plate scofflaws are acting intentionally to evade cameras.

Motorist watchdogs have posted on social media videos and photos of cars with leaves and even whole tree branches affixed to license plates with glue or tape.

“It angers me deeply, as there have been one too many times that my life has been on the line, only to see someone drive away with, of course, an obstructed plate,” Brianna Brooke, a veterinarian technician, told The Post.

After a silver car with a branch affixed to its plate speeding to beat a red light almost crushed Brooke earlier this month, she shared on Reddit a picture she took of a black BMW in Forest Hills, Queens, with a leafy branch tucked through the license plate frame.

The scofflaw foliage season seems to be “relatively new,” according to Twitter account Bike Lanes NYC. The motorist monitor said they’ve counted at least eight cars sporting leafy coverups so far this year.

One car spotted near the courts had a fake maple leaf on its plate — and a district attorney parking placard on the dashboard.

“Most of them they know they’re not gonna get caught,” the Twitter user said.

Drivers who intentionally mask or deface their licenses to avoid tickets or tolls can face a $300 fine. The city has repeatedly launched crackdowns over the years on motorists’ attempts to avoid cameras reading their tags.

In December, the City Council passed a bill banning the sale of toll-beating covers.

“It’s a safety issue, it’s an issue in terms of revenue, it’s an issue in terms of ensuring we have safe streets, and holding people accountable,” said Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers (D-Queens).

The MTA has lost $19 million through Aug. 31 this year because of unreadable license plates.

The city has seen summonses for obstructed plates plummet in 2022.

NEWS

en-us

2022-11-27T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-11-27T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://nypost.pressreader.com/article/281535115002486

New York Post