2013 Audi A3

Aretha Franklin Charms Her Way Out Of NYC Parking Ticket

 
2 1,538 views Aug 10, 2011

Aretha Franklin, at Barack Obama's inaguration.

Aretha Franklin, at Barack Obama's inaguration.

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Winning 18 competitive and two honorary Grammys is no minor achievement, and Aretha Franklin is known as the “Queen of Soul” for a reason. She’s racked up 45 Top 40 hits on Billboard’s “Hot 100” list over the past 50 years, but her most stunning accomplishment to date happened in New York City this week.

Aretha Franklin successfully talked herself out of a parking ticket in Manhattan.

If you’ve ever driven and parked in New York City, you probably understand how remarkable this is. New York’s parking enforcement employees are notoriously indifferent to celebrities or individual circumstances, and common belief is that they’ll ticket their own grandmothers without a second thought. They’re as tenacious as a pit bull on a pork chop, and equally easy to reason with.

The incident occurred on Monday night, in front of Neely’s Barbecue Parlor on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Franklin spotted the parking official honing in on her car while at dinner with friends, and intercepted the ticket bearer, demanding R.E.S.P.E.C.T.  Franklin got it, and traded a signed envelope for leniency.

We don’t recommend you try this yourself, no matter how famous you are. Winning Grammys is one thing, but talking your way out of a parking ticket in NYC? Now that’s impressive.

[Fox News]



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Comments (2)

  1. fb_756493434 avatar Brian Parker Posted: 8/10/2011 3:57pm PDT

    This past Saturday Night I was able to convince a San Francisco Parking guy to let my date's Audi off the back of the tow truck right before he was ready to tow it off a street in North Beach - I didn't even have to bribe him with cash, I just asked (begged) nicely!
     
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  2. Enzo avatar Enzo Rollis Posted: 8/10/2011 4:39pm PDT

    i have gotten a few ticket this year in new york i live here and these guys just dont give a dame what your reason is.i got a court summons because of my stock exhaust was said to be too loud wile a guy with a harley drove by and the cop dident even flinch had a phone in my lap another time cop said i was texting when i was checking the dame time.
     
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