SF cracks down on ‘Monkey Parking’ mobile app • Hacker News Board

Re: SF cracks down on ‘Monkey Parking’ mobile app

#11

Post by pessimizer » Mon, Jun 23, 2014, 6:47 PM UTC

At least one of these companies is a pure protection racket.

"ParkModo was recently offering $13 an hour to drivers who would occupy parking spaces in the Mission District during peak weekend times and then sell the spot through its app, a Craigslist job posting showed.

"'Get paid $13.00 per hour just to park!' the ad read. 'Our company is launching an awesome app that rewards people to sell their on-street parking spots before leaving to people who need a spot.'

"It went on to say that: 'Once you are parked, using the app, you will offer the spot for sale. … Once someone purchases the spot, you will complete the transaction with the buyer and then find another space to park in and start the process all over again!'"

It's as if AirBnB were paying people to burn down hotels.

Re: SF cracks down on ‘Monkey Parking’ mobile app

#12

Post by microcolonel » Mon, Jun 23, 2014, 6:48 PM UTC

They're not selling the spots, they're selling prior knowledge of their departure. They have no right or means to block or make exclusive the spots, so what's the problem?

Re: SF cracks down on ‘Monkey Parking’ mobile app

#13

Post by jaynos » Mon, Jun 23, 2014, 6:48 PM UTC

whence wrote: post #7

Here's a better idea: charge market rate for parking on the street, citywide. There's no reason that space should be given away for free. Use the revenue to build some much needed trains.

San Francisco is actually doing this on a trial basis: http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/san-francisco-cuts-cruising-...

Re: SF cracks down on ‘Monkey Parking’ mobile app

#14

Post by smackfu » Mon, Jun 23, 2014, 6:51 PM UTC

whence wrote: post #7

Here's a better idea: charge market rate for parking on the street, citywide. There's no reason that space should be given away for free. Use the revenue to build some much needed trains.

I parked at a spot in the Mission where the meter rate on the weekend was $6 an hour.

Re: SF cracks down on ‘Monkey Parking’ mobile app

#15

Post by incision » Mon, Jun 23, 2014, 6:52 PM UTC

>'ParkModo was recently offering $13 an hour to drivers who would occupy parking spaces in the Mission District during peak weekend times and then sell the spot through its app, a Craigslist job posting showed.'

Wow, I remember when parking spot squatting was the province of bold homeless men near nightclubs.

This sort of rent-seeking on the commons is particularly distasteful, but simply 'cracking down' on it seems like a wasted opportunity.

If the demand and divide are such that this is a real issue it seems like time for a progressive congestion tax or similar. Collect and invest in infrastructure.

Re: SF cracks down on ‘Monkey Parking’ mobile app

#16

Post by TrainedMonkey » Mon, Jun 23, 2014, 6:53 PM UTC

pessimizer wrote: post #11

At least one of these companies is a pure protection racket. "ParkModo was recently offering $13 an hour to drivers who would occupy parking spaces in the Mission District during peak weekend times and then sell the spot through its app, a Craigslist job posting showed. "'Get paid $13.00 per hour just to park!' the ad read. 'Our company is launching an awesome app that rewards people to sell their on-street parking s…

This is disgusting. Parking in SF is already not easy, and now this cancer is moving in and exacerbating the problem.

Re: SF cracks down on ‘Monkey Parking’ mobile app

#17

Post by smackfu » Mon, Jun 23, 2014, 6:56 PM UTC

Here's the letter (PDF): http://www.sfcityattorney.org/modules/showdocument.aspx?docu...

Re: SF cracks down on ‘Monkey Parking’ mobile app

#18

Post by mathetic » Mon, Jun 23, 2014, 6:56 PM UTC

whence wrote: post #7

Here's a better idea: charge market rate for parking on the street, citywide. There's no reason that space should be given away for free. Use the revenue to build some much needed trains.

Roads are public goods and more importantly they are built with tax money. They are also specifically built for cars to use and without a place to stop they are a bit meaningless in a city.

They might just change this and start charging but that's a pretty stupid idea. Free market is not an answer to everything.

Re: SF cracks down on ‘Monkey Parking’ mobile app

#19

Post by drivingmenuts » Mon, Jun 23, 2014, 6:57 PM UTC

smackfu wrote: post #14

whence wrote: post #7

Here's a better idea: charge market rate for parking on the street, citywide. There's no reason that space should be given away for free. Use the revenue to build some much needed trains.

I parked at a spot in the Mission where the meter rate on the weekend was $6 an hour.

Sounds like you're already neck-deep in "parking for the rich only".

I'd be seriously reconsidering plans to do anything where the parking was that expensive.

Re: SF cracks down on ‘Monkey Parking’ mobile app

#20

Post by DatBear » Mon, Jun 23, 2014, 6:58 PM UTC

coldcode wrote: post #6

While I think some of what the city says makes sense, how can a city in the US force a company in Rome to cease and desist? Even Apple might be loath to follow this order since you can't follow every city and country on earth's laws and stay in business.

>you can't follow every city and country on earth's laws and stay in business.

If you are unable to follow a city or county's laws, then you either need to go about trying to change those laws in that city or country, or not operate there. They released an app specifically to do something that is not legal in a specific city - look at that twitter post.

You can't do something illegal in one city just because it's legal elsewhere - why should an app be allowed to?