Top off Your Parking Meter with a Cell Call 430
dstone writes "Vancouver, Canada has just become the first major city in North America to allow motorists to feed their parking meters with their cell phone. Drivers call a number on each meter, the system recognizes them by Caller ID, they enter how many minutes they want, and that's it. The system sends them a reminder text message before their time is up and they can extend their time remotely. The catch? The company contracted to provide the service, Verrus, makes their money through a 30-cent 'convenience fee.' Less pockets full of change, less parking tickets, seems like a step forward."
Wrong Number? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Wrong Number? (Score:5, Insightful)
It seems like a good idea, however the cynical side of me also wonders that if in addition text messaging the owner of the vehicle when the payment is about to expire, it might also be text messaging the parking enforcement officer for the area to keep an eye out in areas with lots of meters that are expiring at the same time so they know where to concentrate their "efforts"...
It would also be nice if they could do this as a straight text message by phone instead of by voice. Could be a lot faster...
N.
Re:Wrong Number? (Score:5, Funny)
So then...I can play "make the cops run around" by just getting a bunch of my friends on opposite sides of the street to buy only 15 minutes at a time and renew within the last 7 seconds?
Re:Wrong Number? (Score:2, Informative)
And you still didn't get a ticket?
You must have an expensive cell phone bill
But, it is mostly new to the US, I guess. I think Japan had it quite a long time ago, just like how with DoCoMo you can pay for vending machine purchases with your cell phone since at least the early 90s.
Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm not way off-track one of the purposes of a parking meter is the annoyance feature. Keeps a set of rich guys from pumping quarters in it all day long without any negative consequences for them.
This tech enables that sort of behavior.
And then the poor slobs get to walk a half a mile just to get to the courthouse.....
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:5, Interesting)
Apparently a secretary for couple of law offices would regularily just walk into city hall with a list of license numbers of the partners and pay off all the fines on-masse
City of Calgary is considering raising the daily fine to $300 now
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:2)
Big deal. I can live with that. I don't know if they have changed the price since then though.
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:4, Informative)
The City of Calgary is also going with catching drivers who stay at the meter too long. [citytv.com]
There's also talk of using a similar parking meter system as described in TFA.
Vip
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:5, Informative)
Wheelclamps.
To Mr RichBastard, paying a fine is no deterrent. Mr RichBastard having to wait an hour or two for the guys with the wheel clamp keys is gonna re-think his parking strategy.
Especially when they (purposely) take their time coming to unclamp you.
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:5, Funny)
Now, depending on the "boot" and on your wheels, there are other ways. My brother, has a BUNCH of booths - as in more than 20 - in a corner of his yard. He drives a Nissan SUV with BIG ass off road tyres. If he returns to his car and finds it "booted", he lets the air out of the tyre, and bends a small piece of the booth. He then removes the boot, bends back the small piece, re-inflates the tire with a small electric pump he always has in the back, throws the boot in his car and drives away. I asked him why he didn't just leave the boot behind, and he said "I wouldn't want anyone to take it and sell it for scrap metal." Once every few months he loads all the boots in his car and "dumps" them at the gate of one the smaller police stations in the town, since in the country he lives in right now it's the cops that put the boots on. He thinks this is funny.
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:2)
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:2)
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:5, Interesting)
In Chicago, it appears that enforcement of this is half hearted (compared with places like Carmel where they use chalk to mark the tires to enforce the time limit).
Anyway, it would not be hard for the cell phone parking meter to enforce the time limit. So after 4 quarters, the parking meter won't take any more money and the driver has to move.
Wouldn't it be great if the parking meter could tell that you hadn't paid or moved the car and then issued the cell phone an instant meter violation charge? I believe that is $50 in Chicago. Plus a 30 cent convenience fee.
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:2)
it was all in good fun though.. i am glad they ticket people.. i just hate it when the see a meeter with like 2 min on it and jsut stand there and wait for it.. i had one like that (diffrent cop) they stuck the ticket to the windshield as i was turnning the car on.
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:4, Insightful)
Congrats, asshole. Way to ruin a guy's day while he was doing his job. We've all been pissed about parking tickets, but the onus is on the owner of the car to make sure the meter is paid, not the person in charge of writing tickets. Why should you expect leniency from a cop who probably has to do that all day? To him, your car is no more important than the thousands of others out there.
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:2, Insightful)
In Boston, they use the big yellow locks on the wheels (can't recall the name)
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:3, Informative)
No, it's all over the US. In the South, I've seen it in Raleigh, Fayetteville, and Atlanta.
The issue is that metered parking is there for people to, say, go out and get lunch or a haircut or whatever. If you're an employee who's going to be there all day, parking a block or t
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:5, Insightful)
You're blaming the freakin' meter maid for mandatory life sentences?! While I agree that the police might be given more rights than they should, you're talking about the person that's hired to make sure your dumbass is fairly paying for general road repairs! What, do you blame the janitor for having to wash your hands after taking a crap at work?
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:3, Insightful)
1 hour: $2; 2 hours: $5; 3 hours: $9
Notice how the pricing is scaled to deter long term parking. These machines DO NOT TAKE BILLS, so you must carry huge amounts of quarters with you.
Conclusion: If cell phone payment methods become widespread in the US, I expect either sharp rate increases or
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:2)
I hope the next feature added will be automatically issued parking tickets when someone exceeds their time... sort of 'convenience ticket'. That is what you will eventually get when you disclose your id/cell number in advance in a ticket gamble.
Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature (Score:2)
convenience fees (Score:2)
Re:convenience fees (Score:3, Interesting)
Competition (Score:2, Insightful)
While it would be feasible to maintain an account with several providers in different cities, it seems like a government-sponsered portal would make more sense than required accounts to be created directly on the company site. Maybe this won't be an issue since most of one's parking would be in one city; just a thought.
Re:Competition (Score:2)
Re:Competition (Score:2)
Carl Magee was from Albuquerque. Hence the dispute. He built one there first. He took out the patent after the move to OK City.
"Convenience" fees! Heh. (Score:5, Interesting)
"Convenient for who?" I asked. And she told me, unblinkingly, that it had in fact really made their job a lot easier.
Re:"Convenience" fees! Heh. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:"Convenience" fees! Heh. (Score:2, Insightful)
- You get your cutelery yourself
- You get straws yourself
- You clear up after yourself (disposing in the trash
And then on a wider levels
- At the coffee shop, your add your own extra (milk, sugar, etc.)
- At the supermarket you collect your own groceries (compare this to the grocers at the market, or of the '40s and '50s)
- You server yourself gas (if you're not in NJ)
However, these are by no means negativ
Re:"Convenience" fees! Heh. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:"Convenience" fees! Heh. (Score:2)
Re:"Convenience" fees! Heh. (Score:2)
Re:"Convenience" fees! Heh. (Score:2)
I think it's not so much for credit cards as it is for debit cards. Since they have to enter their PIN, it's (conceivably) more private to have that PIN pad there, and integrating the scanner just seems simpler at that point. (And then from there, having the credit runs use it too...)
Also, most places will still scan your card when you hand it to them, if you like.
Re:"Convenience" fees! Heh. (Score:2)
Second would be being charged to electronically file my taxes. For the past several years I have owed the IRS, so there is no way I am going to pay extra so they can get my money sooner.
Re:"Convenience" fees! Heh. (Score:2)
Nice, thoughtful response, there. Let's see... how many refills? None. I essentially never do that - usually I prefer to have the cashier hand me my food in a bag, my drink in a cup, and I walk out. Places like McDonalds used to do that all the time, even after the "billions and bil
Re:"Convenience" fees! Heh. (Score:2)
It took a while to get used to implied free refills on soda in fast food restaurants in the U.S.: for a while I'd throw out my empty cup and go to buy another one if I was really thirsty, having been brainwashed in Canada that anything not explicitly permitted is forbidden. Not surprisingly, the cashier would usually think me an idiot for throwing out my old c
Re:"Convenience" fees! Heh. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:"Convenience" fees! Heh. (Score:3, Insightful)
A for the snotty little stab at my perception, at least I can recognize when I 'm being a theiving douchebag. If you want to really vote with your dollar, your gonna have to go without.
Your popcorn wasn't subsidized by advertising at the movie theater. The advertising was put there to create a new reven
Re:"Convenience" fees! Heh. (Score:2)
One thing though, the movie ticket money pretty much all goes back to the movie studio, not to the theater itself. The theater I worked for in high school claimed they only got about $0.25 from every ticket sold, and they essentially made all their money from food... which had to cover the cost of employees, electricity, equipment, supplies, the building itself, movie reels too I guess.... This is why movie theaters don't want
Re:"Convenience" fees! Heh. (Score:4, Insightful)
Well the popcorn refills where I worked at were "same visit only"... but I'd say about 75% of the people who got popcorn refills were bringing in bags that were clearly from weeks ago (sometimes they'd have movies on the bag from a year ago). Honestly, we the employees didn't much care and just gave them the refill. The managers only sort of cared.
I actually was really annoyed by an AMC employee a few months ago. I was buying tickets for me and a friend... and I got the student discount on mine, but she refused to give me a discount on the other one, too. So I just bought one and then went to a different counter to buy another student ticket. But she saw me and made a big fuss about it saying "Don't sell him a student ticket! He just bought one from me!"
She didn't HAVE to go out of her way to make a fuss about it. But she did.
It was ridiculous to me, because that ticket money (which was still about $6.50 or more) wasn't even going to them, it was going to the movie studios and MPAA. Plus, I just don't know how she could care so much to be such a dick to me about it... she's only making minimum wage, and this is likely going to be the worst job she ever has. Back in my day at the movie theater I wouldn't have cared. And usually, most people who work there don't care, and just give you the student discount even if you don't show them your college ID. But oh no, not her. She took her job SERIOUSLY.
And by the way, how irritating of you to be the kind of guy who goes out of his way to report people who are getting popcorn refills from past days... do you have no happiness in your life?
I can imagine being the guy behind the counter, knowing full well this guy's popcorn bag is old, but being nice enough to refill it anyway so he can enjoy a movie and be happy. Then along comes another customer (in this case, you) making a big fuss about how this guy is a thief and how you know his popcorn bag is old, etc. It really doesn't make anyone's day better.
Re:"Convenience" fees! Heh. (Score:3, Interesting)
And in any case, I don't think a thing like this is worth being a dick about to other people and ruining their day. You've lost perspective.
You're the guy that makes employees' lives hell, but then we go
Re:"Convenience" fees! Heh. (Score:2)
more lazy people (Score:3, Insightful)
Granted, there are some instances when this would be nice, but I think most people would use it because they are just plan lazy. Convenience, less exercise, and more food has made this nation very plump.
Also, why would a city want to risk losing that much revenue from all those tickets?
Re:more lazy people (Score:2)
Re:more lazy people (Score:2)
That's true right now, sure. But the program has only just started. Wait till you see what a bunch of fatsos crop up in Vancouver a year from now.
Re:more lazy people (Score:2)
Heaven forbid that those who use a particular service, actually have to pay for that service instead of palming it off onto the wider community. And I say that despite having a student debt of my own.
Sounds like wasted VC money (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Sounds like wasted VC money (Score:2)
In other wor
Sounds like cash money to me (Score:2)
How many transactions do you think happen at a typical parking meter in a day?
:) How about places with 1-hr time limits?
If you set a 2-hr time limit, and your meters are on for 12 hours, you could easily run up $1.50 in revenue or more per day per meter. In some areas, you're talking about $2/day per meter -- overlap time gets billed to two people
The system itself would be pretty
Choose your payment method: (Score:5, Funny)
Sounds Familiar (Score:2)
In Africa, they're using cellphones for personal [publicradio.org] banking [usatoday.com], which is a pretty good way to move money without the hassle of checks an credit cards. I'm not sure I like this 30 cent fee, given that most parking isn't all that expensive.
Re:Sounds Familiar (Score:2)
Where I used to work in Minnesota, parking cost $2 per hour, only allowing you to put in a max of 2 hours at a time. There was no total limit, but every two hours you had to walk back to the meter and pump some more quarters in. I would've gladly paid 30 cents every two hours to save the 15 minutes required to get to and from the parking ramp.
...although, it was nice to have extra sanctioned 15 minute breaks :)
Scare quotes (Score:5, Insightful)
Either way, editorializing in the summary is silly.
Its a convenience for the city (Score:2)
I'd imagine parking meters are prime targets for drug users and petty theives and i've seen quite a lot of vandalized ones.
However, they wrap this up as being convenient for the end user (which it is too) and have the user pay the convenience fee.
Re:Scare quotes (Score:3)
The concept of a "convenience fee" for a solution which is:
1) Technologically more advanced
2) Cheaper for the solution provider to operate (no meters to empty etc.)
3) Not, frankly, all that convenient given that I have to make a call, have a credit card etc.
is a bit of a misnomer.
I love paying those "convenience fees" at banks, while they fire staff and save more money. It's great!
Re:Scare quotes (Score:3, Interesting)
it's pretty convenient if you remember that it rains pretty much all winter long in Vancouver and that you can get pretty wet standing there digging around for dimes as opposed to getting inside and then phoning in.
It's not a misnomer at all. It is more convenient for you and the city (or someone) has to pay more in credit card processing costs.
Re:Scare quotes (Score:2)
If a lot of people end up using the non-change system and the convenience fees are still charged, it will effectively mean that the parking meter charges--apart from fees--have been raised, since the city will be getting the same income with less expense.
In other words, these convenience fees are shifting collection costs from the city to the consumer.
Re:Scare quotes (Score:5, Insightful)
Meter stuffingt = bad (Score:4, Informative)
This scheme seems like a bullshit technological antisolution that would only make the current street parking situation worse,
Re:Meter stuffingt = bad (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Meter stuffingt = bad (Score:3, Insightful)
There are other examples of this:
1. If they REALLY wanted to curb speeding, they would make all speeding tickets be for $10,000 and 30 days in jail, and speeding would stop overnight! Speeding fines are calculated to b
Uh huh. Except... (Score:5, Insightful)
2) I don't have a credit card
3) I don't like The Man tracking my activities, right down to where and when I park
Just a thought.
Re:Uh huh. Except... (Score:2)
Here's another: those w/o a credit card can still use change.
Re:Uh huh. Except... (Score:2)
The Man is only interested in collecting the convenience fee, and could give two craps about where you parked your car - just as long as you pay.
Re:Uh huh. Except... (Score:4, Insightful)
You're concerned about The Man knowing where you park your registered motor vehicle, license plate clearly visible as required by law, on a public street? As you enter and exit your vehicle in public view. Yep, that's some highly sensitive and privileged information right there.
Re:Uh huh. Except... (Score:3, Insightful)
"Who was parked at 3rd & Main last tuesday at 2PM?"
If you willingly give them the data for them to store, it will be easy to find out.
Fffft, old news (Score:3, Interesting)
Without convenience fee.
Re:Fffft, old news (Score:2)
Yea, we're also used to be being screwed.
Estonia started doing this three years ago... (Score:3, Interesting)
I travel there on business from time to time, folks that I work with there have been doing something like this using SMS for a while now.
It is good to see the US catching up.
Here is a link to the Estonia story... (Score:2)
Re:Estonia started doing this three years ago... (Score:2)
Canada is still a separate country from the US. Which is to say: the US isn't catching up.
Been around a while (Score:2, Insightful)
We have that in England :) (Score:4, Informative)
They get the number of your cell phone from caller ID and store your vehicle registration plate and credit card details against it the first time you call. The next time you call you just tell it how many hours you want and enter the 4 digit code for the car park you are using. For an extra 10p you can get a reminder SMS. You are also free to call again and extend the parking.
If you don't have your cell phone with you then you can use any phone, and just tap in your cell number and the PIN number you set the first time you called. You also use that PIN if you want to change credit card or vehicle registration numbers.
The wardens have machines that have details of the electronically issued tickets on them, so they don't clamp you
So long, and thanks for the free parking... (Score:3, Interesting)
It's about the money (Score:4, Insightful)
Not coming to the US anytime soon (Score:2)
Quasi-alarming corporate/government programs. (Score:2)
While Canadian law is much different than US law... it's somewhat alarming that EZ-Pass http://www.ezpass.com/ [ezpass.com] information is being used against people in court.
It's also going to be funny receiving a text that says: "Your car has been towed! $250 has been removed from your account.
Good for students... (Score:2)
Would much rather send a text message on my cellphone from in class, and pay a 30 cent convenience charge than have a ticket.
Then again, I'm sure the University would never adopt these meters... I think they limit the time on purpose so they c
Catching up to Europe (Score:2)
Caller ID?? (Score:2)
Assistance Required (Score:5, Funny)
In a related study.. (Score:2)
A better solution? (Score:2)
In The Netherlands (Score:2)
Of course there is a fee for each call. There is also a small yearly subscription fee for this service (in addition to the per call fee).
The alternative is to buy a ticket from a parking machine in advance, usually overestimating the amount of time you need.
Compared to the actual
Richmond, VA Has This (Score:2)
-Waldo Jaquith
TXT-a-Park (Score:3, Informative)
They charge a 50c transaction fee which is pretty steep, especially when you are only paying $3.50 for the actual parking. Having the system txt you when your parking is almost up and email receipts is a great idea which I wish they would implement here.
Re:Old News (Score:2, Insightful)
I do believe this will completely change the parking scene in Vancouver. Anyone who has been downtown and tried to park there knows it is impossible. This means that now, for sure, anyone who gets there first will be there all day. Previously spaces opened up due to people running out of change and leaving or people getting towed. This would also be a good method of topping up at the various Impark parking lots in Calgary and Edmonton. I almost always underestimate the time I need, I think everyone does.
Of
Re:Old News (Score:2)
Re:GREAT (Score:2)
Re:would never work in nyc (FUD a bit) (Score:2)
Where are you getting $110 from? Last ticket I paid (mailed the check out today) was $65. Different parking violations have different fees -- parking in front of a hydrant or in a handicapped spot certainly deserves a higher fine.
And as for late payment charges -- you shouldn't even include those, moron who don't pay or file a dispute on time have no one to blame
Re:would never work in nyc (Score:2)
the city has become ridiculously dependent on parking tickets - at a $110 a pop, with $20 increases every three weeks for late payments, im suprised meter maids aren't murdered in the street by rioting mobs!
I don't think this is just a Bloomberg problem,
Re:instead of cellphone... (Score:4, Interesting)
You swipe your card, meter deducts money from the card equal to the cost of the max amount of time you can park there. When you come back, you swipe again and the meter refunds the unused amount.
I have an even better better idea. (Score:2)
No one is forcing you to park at the meters. Blowing them up is way out of line when you can park a few blocks away and walk for free... or better still not drive a car at all. Maybe the extra exercise will help you work through your "anger issues" or at least give you time and oxygen to better understand your priorities.
How much o
Re:talk about this (Score:2)
One server. A channel for each story. Sheesh, top trying to reinvent the wheel.