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How do we pay for parking?

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Re: How do we pay for parking?

#221

Post by doublespanner »

konschubert wrote: post #203

I just can't fathom how a business would not care about the loss of revenue from making it THIS hard for the customers to pay. Is it possible that the parking prices in the city of the author are legally capped and are not reflecting actual demand? This would mean that the parking lot is basically filled every day anyways, and the business doesn't see any ways to increase revenue by improving satisfaction.

Depending on the place, if you fail to pay it's actually more valuable to them, due to fees.

Re: How do we pay for parking?

#222

Post by saulpw »

cfeduke wrote: post #213
saulpw wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a flipphone. People can contact me if they need to (they never do). I can't use a QR code or app or whatever. How do I pay for parking?

You don't, but you are also statistically unlikely to spend money (or, perhaps spend very little) at where ever you're trying to park so everyone concerned would prefer you move along to make room for a paying customer please. :)

I guess if you s/park/live then this is why everyone concerned would rather poor people just get on with it and die already. I mean if you're not going to spend money then please move along and make room for a paying customer.

Re: How do we pay for parking?

#224

Post by aBioGuy »

thechao wrote: post #23
burcs wrote: post #5

Modern parking lots always seem ripe for physical phishing, whats stopping someone from sticking up a couple of QR codes that link to a fraudulent payment page or some other malware? This is one of those things that tech really didn't "fix" and now I have to select from one of 20 apps instead of just paying with cash or even a credit card.

I have, on multiple occasions (in Austin, >10 years ago), paid for parking to an "attendant" at a lot I know is free. Those guys will just have your car towed — the whole scam just hangs together: the towing company charges you for the storage & processing, but not the nominal fee; the attendant gets cash. Win-win-lose.

I remember when I moved to DC many years ago we drove to an art exhibit (in an empty building way away from the metro). There was a guy walking up and down the road saying "$5 to park!" I paid him and in the elevator an older woman smugly told me "It's free to park here!" I told her "I know, I'm paying for him to not break MY window." The look on her face....

Re: How do we pay for parking?

#225

Post by clipsy »

GaggiX wrote: post #195
klyrs wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1. Why do I want people to contact me while I'm out? It's almost always spam, and assuming it's not, it's almost always a them problem. 2. If I did want people to contact me, a flip phone would work fine for that. Without a smart phone with a data plan, it is becoming harder and harder to navigate the world made for advertizers and cellular providers. And these parking companies don't want to make it easy for you to…

>Why do I want people to contact me while I'm out? I mean I would think you have a family and just to organize something you would need to communicate, even when you're outside. >a flip phone would work fine for that. Yes flip phones are indeed cell phones.

> I mean I would think you have a family and just to organize something you would need to communicate, even when you're outside.

This seems to come as a shock to much of the HN crowd, but people did in fact manage to organize things before cell phones existed.

Re: How do we pay for parking?

#226

Post by WirelessGigabit »

GaggiX wrote: post #195
klyrs wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1. Why do I want people to contact me while I'm out? It's almost always spam, and assuming it's not, it's almost always a them problem. 2. If I did want people to contact me, a flip phone would work fine for that. Without a smart phone with a data plan, it is becoming harder and harder to navigate the world made for advertizers and cellular providers. And these parking companies don't want to make it easy for you to…

>Why do I want people to contact me while I'm out? I mean I would think you have a family and just to organize something you would need to communicate, even when you're outside. >a flip phone would work fine for that. Yes flip phones are indeed cell phones.

They can send an email. Or call me when I'm at home. If I'm not home I'm away.

Why is that so hard for people to grasp?

Re: How do we pay for parking?

#227

Post by Spooky23 »

deathanatos wrote: post #206
reilly3000 wrote: post #67

Bill my license plate. That is the UX I want.

This is actually how New England handles toll roads. (Not parking.) You have to write a law with it that says "rental car company's can't charge a junk fee of $25/day" or whatever. (Which is roughly what we were charged the last time we accidentally — there wasn't a toll booth! — took a rental through a toll. $25 from the rental car company for a $1 toll. We own an EZ pass now to avoid this very problem.)

You have to be careful with that, as EZPass will fine you for not pre-registering your tag and plate.

Re: How do we pay for parking?

#229

Post by bluepnume »

spr93 wrote: post #219
bluepnume wrote: post #76

We built a startup. You scan a QR code, that sends a text message. If you have a saved card, you pay in the text thread by replying 'pay now', if not you get a link to save a new card. No apps required. Hoping that with enough adoption, it will obviate the need for experiences as bad as this.

No way am I giving your startup* my phone number. Maybe you can have a custom-generated, one-use-only email address that I can turn off so you don't spam me. (Your startup may be virtuous, but most startups fail, and then my data becomes an asset that gets sold away in bankruptcy.) I also hope that your startup has been advised on the very significant TCPA liabilities this approach risks. Even if you do everything ri…

Actually "single use phone numbers" is a service we've considered building for consumers.

Re: How do we pay for parking?

#230

Post by edoceo »

nine_zeros wrote: post #103
jonahbenton wrote: post #22

Agree. It is a serious problem when actual stuff in the world is based on shitty hell software- when the only way to do the stuff in the world is to enter into the shitty hell software world. Then it is exactly living in hell.

Software is being built to line pockets, often scummily. Even Google search page is complete scum. So many ads. Software greed has made life hell.

Greed has made life hell. Software is just the current common vehicle.
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