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DoNotPay Bot Has Beaten 160,000 Traffic Tickets -- and Counting (venturebeat.com)

Posted by msmash on from the fighting-the-good-fight dept.

Khari Johnson, writing for VentureBeat:A bot made to challenge traffic tickets has been used more than 9,000 times by New Yorkers, according to DoNotPay maker Joshua Browder. The bot was made available to New Yorkers in March. In recent years and decades, residents of The Big Apple have seen a persistent increase in traffic fines. A record $1.9 billion in traffic fines was issued by the City of New York in 2015. Since the first version of the bot was released in London last fall, 160,000 of 250,000 tickets have been successfully challenged with DoNotPay, Browder said. "I think the people getting parking tickets are the most vulnerable in society," said Browder. "These people aren't looking to break the law. I think they're being exploited as a revenue source by the local government." Browder, who's 19, hopes to extend DoNotPay to Seattle this fall.

3 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. Seriously? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think the people getting parking tickets are the most vulnerable in society.

    What's higher than first-world problems?

  2. I always get complimented on my parking by penguinoid · · Score: 5, Funny

    I get a note saying "parking fine".

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  3. Fair Enough by twmcneil · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Ok, I read TFA, sue me. Sounds like the bot is just looking for technicalities that will void the ticket. Fair enough.Have you ever heard of a corporation that avoided some tax based on a technicality? I could think of a few.

    Better yet. Ever have a cop give you a ticket based on a technicality? I have.

    Technicalities are not reserved for use by only one side. They are fair game to all. Seems to me that this one is just making these technicalities available to all. Fair enough.

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    "The ferrets, they're every where I tell you!"