I've filed a few reports, and I found the process frustrating and error-prone. The forms are fiddly, there's way too much information that needs to be copied down from the video by hand, you have to use a third-party app to take a timestamped video and a different app to compress it before uploading, and approximately none of it can be done on your phone — the device you probably used to record your video in the first place.
I built Idle Reporter to make filing complaints into a five-minute process that you can do entirely from your phone.
Idle Reporter uses AI to automatically extract all the required information and screenshots from the video and fill out the form for you. It compresses your video, adds the required screenshots, and uploads the whole thing to DEP. All you have to do is log in, give it a final check, and submit.
The AI features cost me money to run, so I put those behind a subscription ($5.99/month, which can pay for itself after a single report). There's a one-week free trial so you can test it out. All the other features — including a fully-featured timestamp camera, which other apps charge for, and an editor for filling out the forms manually and submitting in a single step — will be free forever, as a service to the community.
The app is iOS-only for now — part of this was an exercise in learning SwiftUI in my spare time.
Check it out on the App Store and let me know what you think!
[1]: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dep/environment/idling-citizens-air...
[2]: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-york-city-idling-law-report...
> I don't idle for fun, I do it to reduce wear and tear.
And this law isn't there for fun either.
> I'm also sure normies will recognise when a commercial vehicle is idling to maintain cargo cooling, to maintain hydraulics, etc...
Everybody is stupid but me!!!!! How tireing. Idling is allowed for running a piece of equipment.
No. More so, along the lines of, random people should not be given financial incentives to regulate things they don't understand, especially not without a long checklist. A 2,01m video covers only the most basic thing.
> And this law isn't there for fun either.
Yeah, it's driven by the hippies who made OEMs write in manuals that you should immediately go after starting your car or bike. Scrape the cylinders real good while they're bone dry..
> What happens after I submit my complaint?
> Where DEP issues the summons, you will be informed of the summons number and hearing date. You may need to be available in person or by phone to testify. If the summons is upheld, the respondent must pay the penalty in order for you to receive payment for your complaint, You should submit your request for payment to OATH. If the summons is dismissed, you are not entitled to any payment.
So any random can waste your time severely at no cost to themselves, and you have to prove you were idling legally unless it's a refrigeration truck:
> If you submit a complaint regarding a refrigeration truck, you must document that the engine that moves the vehicle was on and was not being used to run the refrigeration unit.
Where I severely doubt they know which license plates belong to refrigeration trucks to begin with, so you'll likely still have to waste time.
It leads to a hearing date with you on the hook for up to 18000$ the first time and them risking nothing after investing 5 minutes to get in that joyful situation.
The more I read about it, the more it seems like a great scam, though. Film trucks, make them appear to be running for a couple of tokens and drown your competition in fines. Once a day on some trial will likely be enough even.
They are reporting, not regulating. You don't get a ticket from a random person.
> The more I read about it, the more it seems like a great scam, though. Film trucks, make them appear to be running for a couple of tokens and drown your competition in fines. Once a day on some trial will likely be enough even.
This rule is in place for a long time. It isn't a scam nor is what you dreamt up happening.