If you live in a big city, you probably have to deal with traffic from time to time. Sometimes there is no way to avoid it.

Today’s story takes place in New York, and some drivers think they’ve found a way to avoid some of the traffic, but one law following driver thinks they need to learn a lesson.

Let’s see how the story plays out.

Drive down the shoulder of the road? Enjoy your fine.

I’m a New Yorker, and like all New Yorkers who drive, I hate cabbies and livery drivers with a fiery passion.

I don’t hate someone just because they happen to be one of these drivers, but such a large percentage of them are perfectly happy to speed through traffic, never use a turn signal, cut you off, mess with tourists, rapidly weave across lanes to pick up a fare, etc… that it’s hard not to generalize.

Anyway, I drive on Van Wyck Expressway every day.

Everyone from the area knows that the Van Wyck has been perpetually under construction pretty much since it opened (Seinfeld even has a bit about it).

This is NOT a shortcut.

Traffic is frequently congested, but it would more or less move along except that many drivers feel they’ve found a magical shortcut by cutting down the emergency shoulder, then when the shoulder runs out, they have to force their way over.

This slows down everyone.

I have a dashcam on my car, and a few months ago, I got footage of a black livery SUV went speeding past me on the shoulder.

I reviewed the footage later, and you can see the license plate clear as day.

He contacted the driver’s employer.

I decided to check out the Taxi and Limousine Commission’s website, and found they have a very easy online form to file out a complaint about a taxi or livery driver.

I filled it out, and uploaded the video as well as a couple of stills taken from it.

It was a long process, but a prosecutor for the TLC called me to discuss what happened, and they confirmed that the driver was indeed in violation of TLC rules, and would have to attend a hearing, and asked that I be available to participate in the hearing by phone as well.

It did NOT work out in the driver’s favor.

On the date of the hearing, I called in and summarized what happened.

I disconnected after that, so I’m not sure what the driver’s side of the story was, but it must not have been persuasive, because today (about two weeks later), I received an e-mail saying he had been found guilty, and given a $700 fine.

More people should get fined so they stop using that “shortcut.”

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

This reader knows how bad the Van Wyck can be.

This is a long time to deal with horrible traffic.

Here’s the perspective of a former New York livery driver.

Now this is clever!

That was a costly shortcut!

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.