REVscene Automotive Forum - Unleash your inner illegal parking narc with new app

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Unleash your inner illegal parking narc with new app

Unleash your inner illegal parking narc with new app - The Globe and Mail

Pretty much an app that allows you to take a picture of the parking violation and it sends it to the authorities or ticketing agency.
They are also considering giving a portion of ticket amount to the person who sent in the violation, sort of like a commission..

I can see this getting out of hand. What do you guys think?

Company website
http://www.spotsquad.ca/

Spoiler!

Quote:

Unleash your inner illegal parking narc with new app

Some entrepreneurial Winnipeggers are set to unleash an army of bounty hunters keen on nabbing people who park in disabled parking spots without a permit or in front of a fire hydrant.

All that would be needed is a smartphone and the “spotsquad” app.

Co-founder Chris Johnson says he and his partners haven’t yet signed any agreements to give informants a percentage of any ticket fines, but he adds that some private parking lot operators are interested.

He says while many people say they would never snitch on a fellow driver, he expects they would privately jump at the chance to make a couple of bucks while cracking down on inconsiderate parkers.

The app would allow people to snap a picture of a parking violation and send the photo to police, private parking operators or city wardens. A parking warden could then be dispatched to issue a ticket.

If a ticket resulted in a fine, under the plan, informants would get a cut deposited into their bank accounts or could direct the cash to their favourite charities.

“If you can snap a picture and make $8, who’s not going to do that?” Johnson said Tuesday. “Especially when you already wish that guy wasn’t getting away with (breaking) the law when you’re staying within the lines.”

The app isn’t unique. Parking Mobility, an organization in Texas, has one which allows deputized, trained volunteers to take photos of people who park illegally in disabled spots. When drivers are fined, part of the proceeds go to charities and a program to educate offenders about the consequences of their parking infractions.

Mack Marsh, project director for Parking Mobility, said the idea works well in the United States, where the organization has worked for years to negotiate agreements with police departments and cities.

But he said the “spotsquad” concept of people personally profiting from telling on parking violators won’t fly.

“There is not a city in the world that would allow that because what you create then is vigilantism. When the individual who reports a crime profits from the reporting of that crime, then that crime is no longer enforceable,” Marsh said. “There is not a court in the world that would uphold that type of violation.”

Johnson said he doesn’t see it that way.

“People look at it the wrong way (like) we’re building an army of snitches. But if you look at it the right way, just don’t park illegally and we won’t have a problem.”

Using social media and modern technology to shame poor drivers is nothing new. There are many websites designed to publicly expose and denounce poor parking.

One Edmonton website developer created iparklikeanass.com – a forum to post photos of terrible, inconsiderate parking jobs. He also sells personalized parking tickets which can be left on the windshield of the offending drivers’ cars, asking them to show their fellow motorists more respect.

Johnson said his app benefits everyone: from the parking authority which generates more revenue by collecting more fines to other drivers who don’t have to contend with inconsiderate parking that might clog traffic.

“The aim is just to make the streets a safer place. It’s crowd-sourced parking control.”

Parking Mobility is doing a trial in Vancouver and Marsh said it’s been disappointing. For one thing, unlike in the U.S., parking abuse on private property can’t be reported.

“It has to be on-street parking,” he said. “While the program is still active there, we have very little generation of anything ... mainly because the citizens are frustrated that their violations can’t become anything if they’re on private property.”

Brian Bowman, a Winnipeg lawyer specializing in privacy and social media law, said the app could open up a legal minefield. It’s unclear if charter rights would apply or whether a person taking a photograph would be bound by the same privacy laws as public sector workers, he said.

Just because a car is parked in a public place, that doesn’t mean the driver can’t expect some privacy rights, Bowman suggested.

“It’s a novel way of dealing with something that annoys a lot of drivers,” he said. “I’d say make sure they do their due diligence from a privacy perspective so when they do go live, they’re not being challenged from a privacy perspective.”

I'd rather have the proceeds go to charities. If they allow people to make money off of this, you're going to get people that just drive around town hunting for them haha

http://i55.tinypic.com/25yvkvp.jpg

I never narc'd on NOBODY

Great idea for some things. Someone parked 2 feet past a sign? Shouldn't be a ticket. I see lots of people (assholes) pull into handicap spots when they're clearly not handicapped or don't have a handicap sign in their car. Those fuckers deserve a ticket.

And money should go somewhere useful, not the general city fund.
Posted via RS Mobile

They should make a douche bag drivers app..

Big week for privacy.

Fuck, now we can turn each other in right from our phones for bonus cash!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ch28 (Post 8260103)

I'd rather have the proceeds go to charities. If they allow people to make money off of this, you're going to get people that just drive around town hunting for them haha

Quote:

Originally Posted by dangonay (Post 8260117)

Look at it this way: if a lot of people start doing this, enforcement won't have TIME to deal with all of them... which means they SHOULD prioritize on the fuckers that really deserve it, over the ones that's it's a grey area.

Driving around all day for work, I see LOTS of asshole parking jobs - I would SO use this app!

Like this idiot:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.n...72d9e7a39b8675

Citizen surveillance? No thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Bastardo (Post 8260250)

Citizen surveillance? No thanks

Next stop?

thoughtcrime!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soundy (Post 8260136)

Spoiler!

LOL the guy even has spikes on his wheels as if to say, "Come at me bro." :D

I don't see a problem with a truck that size taking up two spots.
Posted via RS Mobile

Quote:

Originally Posted by saveth (Post 8260351)

I don't see a problem with a truck that size taking up two spots.
Posted via RS Mobile

A friend of mine - a WOMAN at that - has a truck that size, and has NO problem fitting it properly into a single parking space.

These trucks aren't too big, the drivers are just too lazy. Or assholes.

Or both.

it's a small car lot though.

if there's money to be made, it will be made.

we have a section already here.. I will just send in those pics.. LMAO!

anyways.. I can see this getting out of hand... what if people start photoshopping cars parking illegally.. LMAO.. wow...

exactly ppl will just figure out a way to send in old pictures or pictures they snap off of computer screens ;) etc etc it wouldn't work

thats why ppl key cars

The shitty drivers thread has tons of video and pictures of shitty drivers doing dangerous shit. The crown corporations won't take any as evidence nor act on it.

Government + Evidence = Not good enough.
Private + Evidence = Fat kid on cake!

I'm going to make 10 different identities so I can take 10 slightly different pictures of each illegal parking I see. I will be rich :D

I can see the authorities say you didn't take that picture first and then not pay you a portion of the ticket.
Posted via RS Mobile

someone would make a killing out of this just roaming Richmond alone

Quote:

Originally Posted by saveth (Post 8260351)

I don't see a problem with a truck that size taking up two spots.
Posted via RS Mobile

O'rly? I think my 5T's a bit bigger and I don't have a problem fitting in the lines.

Either learn to park or park farther away, simple.

Oh yea I am so down for this! But not for making money, just for getting these owners ticketed/towed. I live where street parking is scarce and I've seen FOBS parallel parking on the other side of the street facing the wrong direction, Ive also seen ppl parking in front of fire hydrants all ove rthe place

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soundy (Post 8260359)

f450's are huge and wide, ive parked them in the lines before, you gotta be anorexic to get out of the doors if your parked beside another car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by StylinRed (Post 8260429)

exactly ppl will just figure out a way to send in old pictures or pictures they snap off of computer screens ;) etc etc it wouldn't work

but if your sending old photos, when the parking patrol guy gets there and theres no car there, you wont make money.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ICE BOY (Post 8260506)

O'rly? I think my 5T's a bit bigger and I don't have a problem fitting in the lines.

Either learn to park or park farther away, simple.

but your 5t is still taking up two spots.... does it really matter if the two spots are behind/infront or two spots beside each other?? im sure his truck can just as easily fit just like yours...and he probably would have as well if he could. probably just wasn't enough free stalls to do it. your truck may be longer, but whats more of a pet peeve/annoying, taking up two spots on an angle, or his truck in 1 spot with his tailgate sticking 2-3 feet into the stall behind him, only for someone to still complain about his parking...or to have his tailgate at the back of the line with his front end sticking into the lane? its a no win situation for that truck.

if it were me, im not parking down the street just so I don't offend someone. i'll park in the lot I shop at. if theres enough room for me to park, and enough room for other cars to park, then they can quit complaining. the only way I would EVER park outside of the designated lot, is if I was at Costco/superstore/metrotown when its an extremely busy time...Christmas..boxing day etc..times when I know parking like that would be inappropriate...THEN I would park further away/outside of the mall parking lot, or go with someone else so I can fit in 1 spot

There was a car behind me when I parked. Only reason I didn't park as far forward as the Mazda, was out of consideration, so anyone stopping at the sign could still see cross traffic without going past it.