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How do we pay for parking?

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Re: How do we pay for parking?

#271

Post by boredemployee »

ncpa-cpl wrote: post #264
boredemployee wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Man, exactly. We not only have created a complex society on all levels, but now a very difficult world to live, even the most simple events is now a pain in the ass. From restaurants to small markets, you now pay for a robot, you don't have a human to support you. things that were simple, became full of friction, all to collect our data.

> things that were simple, became full of friction, all to collect our data. I always wonder who comes up with these full of friction "tech innovations". Last time it took me about five minutes to order a soda from one of those machines in a hotel. It even required a phone number to complete the order. Another day that machine failed mid transaction but charged my card so I had to email the hotel's accounting departm…

>> It even required a phone number to complete the order.

Omg. This is so stupid.

The same with parties/festivals: you have to create accounts to buy a fucking ticket, then you pay a "convenience fee".

That is, in addition to providing your data to a platform that you did not ask for, you still pay for the "convenience" lol.

So finally when you arrive at the party, then you have to pay for a "credit card" that works only in that place, where some 3rd party collect your data again.

Re: How do we pay for parking?

#273

Post by bmitc »

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.

These days, everything actual is already based on software. It is miserable. It's nearly impossible to talk to humans these days. Even talking to someone at a hospital or doctor's office is nigh impossible at times. I have also noticed an increase in the automated phone systems and even human representatives just flat out hanging up or ending chats on me, when it is they who are having the problems. But I just get a condescending "call us back when you have the required information". I especially hate when the automated system says "it looks like we're having a problem". No, I'm not having any problem. It's you having the problem.

Re: How do we pay for parking?

#274

Post by bmitc »

throwawaaarrgh wrote: post #140
utybo wrote: post #93

Why have parking lots not kept their usual parking payment station things? In France, all paid parking I've seen has both options of an app or just using the parking meter payment thing (with the smartphone option usually being better because you can pay exactly by the minute instead of paying 1 whole hour)

They want to push the cost onto the customer. If they don't have physical infrastructure it's a cost they don't have to maintain anymore. They know we will put up with the app bullshit because we have to park.

This is a great observation. Corporations just keeping pushing costs, infrastructure, features, quality assurance, and even testing onto regular people and customers. We're everybody's little compute engine.

Re: How do we pay for parking?

#275

Post by pjmorris »

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.

What if I don't want my card on file someplace new?

What if I don't have my phone?

What if my phone doesn't have a camera?

What if I don't have a card?

Re: How do we pay for parking?

#276

Post by marssaxman »

lionkor wrote: post #84
AverageDude wrote: post #27

[flagged]

In the Netherlands and Germany at least I have never dealt with a parking lot attendant. There's just a machine you walk to, put your card/cash/whatever in, and you get a paper that you put in your car. The whole process takes 1 minute, the things have accessibility features to some degree, and if they don't work there's another one somewhere or its free.

We used to have that in Seattle, too, but in recent years it all seems to be turning into app hell like the author describes. I don't like it.

Re: How do we pay for parking?

#277

Post by tomca32 »

NikolaNovak wrote: post #139
thechao wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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'm from a developing country with humongous corruption. I now live in Canada and love it. But to certain degree corruption is just less visible. For example, apparently majority of our towing industry in Toronto is just organized crime. With murders and arson and everything - in the seemingly simple and innocuous towing industry. And when opening a restaurant in downtown, near one of the stadiums, protection money i…

Similar experience here, and from your name we’re either neighbors or from the same country originally. People from our region usually have some idealized fantasy about western countries. After I moved to the US I was shocked to find out that it is just as corrupt as the Balkans, just in a different way.

My pet peeve is hearing how I don’t understand corruption because I live in a functioning country now.

Re: How do we pay for parking?

#278

Post by bluepnume »

pjmorris wrote: post #275
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.

What if I don't want my card on file someplace new? What if I don't have my phone? What if my phone doesn't have a camera? What if I don't have a card?

...then you'll need to use a slightly less convenient way to pay? Not sure what you're angling at here.

Re: How do we pay for parking?

#279

Post by ChrisArchitect »

deathanatos wrote: post #217
ChrisArchitect wrote: post #88

This is the native app world we built instead of using websites. iPhone wanted this.

… I think partly this is that Android has lacked a decent QR code scanner (out of the box) for far too long. The hardware has been there forever … but you're forced to choose an app, and thus you have to have the nose to be able to suss crapware from not. Google Goggles grew the functionality years ago, but even recently it will still deliver Artificial Idiocy level results: I scanned a QR code this year (I think it…

Nobody (iPhone or Android) had QR code scanning built in for ages, which is why QR codes crashed and burned very rapidly like 10-13 years ago before having their random resurgence in the last few years because it was finally feasible with the built in camera/app

Re: How do we pay for parking?

#280

Post by [deleted] »

dang wrote: post #198
throwawaaarrgh wrote: post #104

I. Hate. Technology. I hate working in this field. I hate how unprofessional every company is, from the largest to the smallest. I hate how incompetent all the engineers are. I hate how no business I have ever worked for has ever trained its workers on anything but how to fill out a time sheet. I hate all the blog posts about inane technical details. I hate how people start building a solution to a problem they're no…

Ok, but please don't fulminate on HN. This is in the site guidelines: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html .

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