In this clip from NY1’s "Road to City Hall," City Council member Simcha Felder defends his proposal to give drivers a five-minute "grace period" before they can be ticketed for overstaying the time limit at parking spots. Taking the law-and-order view is Transportation Alternatives director Paul White, who points out that codifying parking ticket excuses will simply sow confusion about what constitutes a violation.

Felder appears unconcerned that his bill will clog up streets with even more double-parked vehicles and drivers cruising for spots. What’s most discouraging, perhaps, is his repeated reference to parking agents as "vultures." Given the violence and aggression that parking agents already contend with, you would hope that elected officials would refrain from heaping derision upon these all-too-convenient targets.