Students defeat new 'Barnacle' parking clamp, skip fines and get free internet • Hacker News Board

Re: Students defeat new 'Barnacle' parking clamp, skip fines and get free internet

#71

Post by Wowfunhappy » Sat, Jan 18, 2020, 5:16 PM UTC

rtempaccount1 wrote: post #61

cortesoft wrote: post #26

> Obviously, some students thought that fee was ridiculous – just like paying for parking at a university where you’re already paying a hefty tuition fee I hate parking fees as much as the next person, and totally appreciate the creativity of the people who defeated this device. However, how should we handle distributing a limited number of parking spaces when there are more people who want to park than available spa…

Wouldn't it make sense that the university, that is charging the students all this money, ensure they have enough parking spaces to satisfy likely demand? Doesn't seem unreasonable for universities with very high tuitions, to provide amenities like reliably available parking.

> Wouldn't it make sense that the university, that is charging the students all this money, ensure they have enough parking spaces to satisfy likely demand?

Does the school offer paid parking permits?

If so, why should students who don't need a parking spot (for whatever reason) need to subsidize those who do?

The high overall cost of tuition is a separate issue, and not one that can be solved by including even more services in the price.

Re: Students defeat new 'Barnacle' parking clamp, skip fines and get free internet

#72

Post by cgriswald » Sat, Jan 18, 2020, 5:16 PM UTC

cortesoft wrote: post #26

> Obviously, some students thought that fee was ridiculous – just like paying for parking at a university where you’re already paying a hefty tuition fee I hate parking fees as much as the next person, and totally appreciate the creativity of the people who defeated this device. However, how should we handle distributing a limited number of parking spaces when there are more people who want to park than available spa…

My community college had more parking spaces than students on campus at any given time. They then did construction, resulting in one of the largest lots and some of the smaller lots being closed. There was still would have been enough parking for everyone, except they then rented out another parking lot to a pair of local companies. So, we ended up paying for parking when no parking was actually available. This was, of course, after raising the parking fees. The schools initial response to the problem was to get on campus earlier; which is an absolutely absurd statement for a community college since the demographics include a lot of single mothers and otherwise working adults. Not to mention everyone had to travel to campus because there was no housing. (To top it off, the nearby residents petitioned the city to make their streets permit only. I hope they and their visitors get ticketed regularly.)

So the school expected us to pay more than ever for parking because they wanted to monetize their lot and they didn't even price it high enough to make parking possible for those who could afford to pay. They also did and do charge students to park at night, despite the fact that night classes don't come close to filling the lots.

I'm not much of a stick-it-to-the-man type, but you can bet I found all kinds of creative ways to park and get out of tickets.

Re: Students defeat new 'Barnacle' parking clamp, skip fines and get free internet

#73

Post by cpfohl » Sat, Jan 18, 2020, 5:16 PM UTC

geofft wrote: post #67

chrisseaton wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is everyone in this thread celebrating people who park selfishly?! Taking up spaces with abandoned cars is a particularly miserable thing to do that makes the original underlying problem worse!

We're not celebrating people who park selfishly, we're celebrating people who use a clever hack to defeat a harmful solution to the problem of people parking selfishly. The point of DeCSS and qrpff, for instance, was not that piracy is a good thing but that DRM is a bad thing.

How is this a harmful solution? Releasing it legally is simple and easy and non destructive

Re: Students defeat new 'Barnacle' parking clamp, skip fines and get free internet

#74

Post by iamhamm » Sat, Jan 18, 2020, 5:17 PM UTC

eptcyka wrote: post #22

ISL wrote: post #7

Like adversaries who attempt to outrun a radio, "outsmarting" law enforcement who have your license-plate number is a generally poor strategy. Likewise, putting the police-department's SIM in your phone has some pretty clear downsides.

I don't believe campus police actually has any legal power. It also isn't the police department's SIM card, Barnacle owns it - of course it's still considered theft.

Depends on where you go. My college had a legitimate police department with duly authorized officers that could arrest, carry guns, etc.

Re: Students defeat new 'Barnacle' parking clamp, skip fines and get free internet

#75

Post by unnouinceput » Sat, Jan 18, 2020, 5:17 PM UTC

Quote: "The company’s CEO says improvements have been made to counter these hacks already, but we’re curious to see where this parking arms race heads next." Me too, lol. Can't wait to see as well, I mean you put your low solution vs students who eat this stuff as hobby and you think you'll best them? good luck there Mr. CEO

Re: Students defeat new 'Barnacle' parking clamp, skip fines and get free internet

#76

Post by chrisseaton » Sat, Jan 18, 2020, 5:17 PM UTC

geofft wrote: post #67

chrisseaton wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is everyone in this thread celebrating people who park selfishly?! Taking up spaces with abandoned cars is a particularly miserable thing to do that makes the original underlying problem worse!

We're not celebrating people who park selfishly, we're celebrating people who use a clever hack to defeat a harmful solution to the problem of people parking selfishly. The point of DeCSS and qrpff, for instance, was not that piracy is a good thing but that DRM is a bad thing.

Driving an individual vehicle and parking it at a college is the first-order bad thing here. The parking spaces occupy useful land and the cars pollute the campus air.

Everything else is about people trying to avoid being asked to take responsibility for the impact of doing that.

Re: Students defeat new 'Barnacle' parking clamp, skip fines and get free internet

#77

Post by ani-ani » Sat, Jan 18, 2020, 5:18 PM UTC

What the article doesn't state is what advantage the Barnacle offers over a more traditional boot design. OK, there's the online payment thing, but that could be equally implemented with a boot. So why the convoluted design? Is it because you can drive around a bit (dangerously) while the barnacle is on?

Re: Students defeat new 'Barnacle' parking clamp, skip fines and get free internet

#78

Post by cortesoft » Sat, Jan 18, 2020, 5:21 PM UTC

rtempaccount1 wrote: post #61

cortesoft wrote: post #26

> Obviously, some students thought that fee was ridiculous – just like paying for parking at a university where you’re already paying a hefty tuition fee I hate parking fees as much as the next person, and totally appreciate the creativity of the people who defeated this device. However, how should we handle distributing a limited number of parking spaces when there are more people who want to park than available spa…

Wouldn't it make sense that the university, that is charging the students all this money, ensure they have enough parking spaces to satisfy likely demand? Doesn't seem unreasonable for universities with very high tuitions, to provide amenities like reliably available parking.

This is just spreading the cost of parking to people who don't use it... instead of only people who drive their own cars paying for the parking, now everyone has to.

Does the school also pay for public transportation for people who don't drive? Or the extra housing costs of the people who pay extra to live close enough to walk?

Re: Students defeat new 'Barnacle' parking clamp, skip fines and get free internet

#79

Post by flatiron » Sat, Jan 18, 2020, 5:21 PM UTC

acdha wrote: post #65

teej wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because using scrap cars to exhaust the barnacle supply is a hilarious way to hack the system for the benefit of other students.

How does this “benefit” other students? They're the ones who are being inconvenienced by scofflaws and if it's like most other places quite likely endangered: the same people who park illegally tend to be cavalier about blocking bike lanes and curb cuts, speeding, rolling through crosswalks, etc.

As someone who commuted to college parking illegally is just something you have to do. I had parking fines I had to pay before receiving my diploma even though I made the grades and such. Parking and universities is a mess.

Re: Students defeat new 'Barnacle' parking clamp, skip fines and get free internet

#80

Post by edejong » Sat, Jan 18, 2020, 5:22 PM UTC

cortesoft wrote: post #26

> Obviously, some students thought that fee was ridiculous – just like paying for parking at a university where you’re already paying a hefty tuition fee I hate parking fees as much as the next person, and totally appreciate the creativity of the people who defeated this device. However, how should we handle distributing a limited number of parking spaces when there are more people who want to park than available spa…

Solutions:

1. Place dorm rooms nearby

2. Subsidize local public transport companies

3. Build more parking spots

4. Offer more content for students to watch at home

5. Take in less students if you don’t have the capacity

6. Organized ride sharing programs.

7. Off-campus parking with bus services