 " The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson " is the first episode of The Simpsons ' ninth season . The 179th episode of the series overall , it was originally broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on September 21 , 1997 . The episode features the Simpson family traveling to Manhattan to recover the family car , which was taken by Barney Gumble and abandoned outside the World Trade Center , therefore gaining numerous parking tickets and a parking boot . 
