Welcome to THE FUTURE: Parking Meters Will Be Refilled Via Cellphone

via Sky Mall, who else?

Because technology today allows us to shoot laser beams in eyeballs, and keeps our kitties crapping into robots, New York City is in the process of installing 300 parking meters that will allow users to refill them with their cellphones. Sure, why not encourage more vehicles to pour into the city's already choked streets? If we've learned anything about the advancement of modern technology, it's that there's no profit in the cure, man.

The Post reports that after registering online, "drivers will simply use an app or text message to enter the number of the meter they are parking at, and the amount of time they wish to purchase." While paying with a credit card by phone might sound handy, it will "also help with enforcement, making it more challenging to feed a meter beyond the time limit." Not to mention that it puts you into the system. Next thing you know The Man will start blowing up your cell piece, sending you angry texts like the one night stand you met at a falafel cart after 3 a.m. "i need ur $ NOW! u txt me about pk space now u stand me up? i h8 u SO MUCH!!!!11!"

Atlanta and Washington already have the meters, and the city claims the pilot program will put the trial meters "in the outer boroughs on a busy commercial strip with retail and restaurants," and also probably inside your brain when you get a flu shot at Duane Reade.

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By Christopher Robbins in News on August 16, 2011 12:50 PM

Comments [rss]

callmeL

agreed - NY is late

LA has phone-in parking meters.

SF BART has countdown clocks

LA and SF have cameras at major traffic intersections that snap and take a picture of you when you run a red light.

LA has used restaurant report cards for OVER A DECADE and NYC just introduced them like it's this new thing.

In SF rolling stops by bikes are recognized as legit (not sure about LA I never rode a bike there)

LA and SF issue jaywalking tickets and make $$$ off of it

I love grimy New York but it's really ancient in so many ways.

T. Funke

LA has had this for 5 years, but you don't need to register. The machine prints you a receipt with a phone number you can just call to extend time.

TheRealCannibal

where can I get that phone strap thing?

Guest

The future? There are places all over the US that are already doing this (not just Atlanta and Washington). Poor NY is behind.

TheRealCannibal

NY needs time to catch up partly because we have about 50x the parking meters

Guest

True, but for a city that claims to be on the "cutting edge", it just seems a bit late. By the time they get them all installed, another better solution will be available.

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whitecastlerock

Honestly, I can't recall the last time I ever heard anyone refer to New York City as cutting edge. If those people exist, they must have just come here from a 4th world nation...