Had My First Run-In With The Police Last Night

I like to hang out at the pull offs down by the ocean (not the river). It’s illegal to park there from 12 am to 5 am. Yesterday I was pretty tired at around 9 pm so I headed down to park and take a nap for a bit. I do this because the area is nice and to avoid going to my overnight spot too early. I set my alarm so that I get up and move before 12 am.

Well last night I slept through the alarm, I vaguely remember shutting it off in my sleepy stupor. I woke up to knocking and calls from a police officer at 12:30 am. I could see flashing lights through my curtains. I opened the door to exit the vehicle and the officer was standing right there. He saw my sleeping quarters when I opened the door and seemed somewhat amused. He made some comment about having a tent back there or something.

After I exited my car, I saw that two police SUVs were surrounding me, one had a vehicle mounted spotlight aimed at me. The officer asked for my license and took it back to his vehicle. When he came back he just told me I couldn't park there from 12 am to 5 am. I didn't get a fine or anything but I'm probably on some list now. Also, I'm the only car out here with a NY license plate so it'll be easier for them to spot me in the future. I need to be more careful with my alarms.