New York - Want the Best Deal on Parking? Get Yourself a Police Surgeon Placard

New York - For only $250, the ability to willfully disregard the parking laws of New York City can be yours. With barely a fuss, at least two different police organizations will sell you an illegitimate parking placard, with all its attendant perks. These placards aren’t official and carry zero legal protections. Even so, if you display one on your dashboard you get a free pass to park almost wherever you want, when you want.

So how do you get your hands on one? Here’s the deal. If you’re an MD—or belong to a loosely-defined cadre of medical professionals, including dentists, acupuncturists, and even “chaplains”—you can send a copy of your medical license, diploma, resume, and a $250 check to Amtrak Police Lodge #189 , an affiliate of the Fraternal Order of Police based in Maple Shade, New Jersey. You also agree to treat members of the lodge. They’ll designate you an “Amtrak Police Surgeon” and send along a parking placard, like the one shown above, that looks suspiciously like an official document.