Top off Your Parking Meter with a Cell Call

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."

Comments

Meter stuffingt = bad

[dotmax]

In a lot of [U.S.] cities, running out to stuff another wad of quarters in the meter will get you a ticket, the concept being that metered parking is temporary parking. Curbside metered parking is designed for people who are going to get-in/get-out. If you're going to be somewhere all day you should either be using a parking garage or alternate transportation. In theory.

This scheme seems like a bullshit technological antisolution that would only make the current street parking situation worse,

Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature

[jelloshotgun]

It's still $15 in Brookline.

Re:Kinda defeats a parking meter feature

[riflemann]

They have a solution to this in many European cities:

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.