Some New Yorkers are cashing in on idling commercial vehicles by catching them on video and reporting them to the city, and the payday can be huge.
Citizen’s Air Complaint Program enacted in 2019 fines commercial vehicles that are left idling and gives 25% of the fines back to the people that catch them on video. Vehicle owners can be fined $350 or more, which means a payday of $87.50 for each one caught on video.
All you have to do is capture a three-minute video of a vehicle idling (one minute if it’s in a school zone), upload it to the city’s Department of Environmental Protection website, and wait for a cheque to come in the mail.
According to NBC News, the incentive has caused citizens to form a group of about 60 people called the “Idle Warriors”, which go around the city catching polluting delinquents. Idling in city centers obviously creates dirty air, which can lead to health problems as well as increased greenhouse gas emissions.
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One Idle Warrior named Donald Blair was such a keener, he ended up making a total of $125,000 from catching the idling bandits on video. “If you want to change someone’s behavior, the best way to do it is hit them in the pocket,” said Blair.
While Blair has made the most of any New Yorker, he’s not the only one to clear over a year’s salary just recording video of idling vehicles. Geroge Packenham is a former banker whose brother died of lung cancer, and he’s made $40,000 so far. “It’s work!” said Packenham.
Amazon, UPS and FedEx lead the way
The biggest culprits for idling vehicles are Amazon, UPS, and FedEx, according to City Hall. Of the current $8 million in unpaid fines owed, Amazon represents over $250,000, while the UPS and FedEx represent $70,000 and $60,000, respectively.
So while the Idle Warriors do their best to catch the polluting trucks, it’s still up to the city to collect the fines. All three of the top fine dodgers have released statements that they intend to comply, but the city might have to take more drastic measures such as towing vehicles to make sure they follow through.