Autochalk or RoboMeterMaid Rant..

[InkaSteve]

Since moving to a new office and having to now park on the street, I am subject to the "move your car every 90 minute parking dance". Today, went out, drove around, couldn't find an appropriate "safe" parking place (I am picky, I don't like people backing into the Euro bumpers on my Touring) ended up back in the original parking space. Checked for chalk marks on tires, finding none, left the car for another 90 minutes.

Come out at lunch and find a nice $45 ticket on my windshield. Still no chalk marks, so I am obviously pissed.

I find that our city has invested in an "Autochalk System", which using cameras and a GPS system just drives by at 25 mph and automatically spots violators. http://www.independent.com/news/2009/feb/04/police-get-autochalk/

So much for Free Parking, Your "stimulus dollars" put to good use. Big Brother is alive and well and now living in Santa Barbara.

[JackBennett]

They are testing the same thing in Seattle for a full roll out soon... Can't efffing wait!

[SteveJ]

Are they also checking VINs and plate numbers on their drive-by? Or is it just a red sedan with chrome wheels was in the same spot 90 minutes ago.

That will be fun to see them enforce it that way during a 2002 gathering. We could have a whole long line of red '02s to cycle in and out of the same parking spot.

You may want to take a video record of your car movements to prove you did evacuate the parking spot. Better yet, include some GPS data in there as well.

[2002haus]

B Steve J,

Miss ya man. LOL

[TobyB]

yeah, Seattle's turned into a facist traffic state. Stupid roads are

all broken up, but they paint bike pictures everywhere-

especially places it's dumb to bike.

Wonder if they'd catch you swapping plates? Just nip out every 90

mins and put on a new one?

'Nope, that wasn't me, I moved mine- musta been another lowered '70 atlantik

2002 with Westerns... see, not my plate?'

yeah.

t

[penth2o]

Your kidding me. You have to move your car every 90 minutes????

What purpose does that serve. What do you guys do with your cars while you are at work.

[Anschauer]

Hey. I'd be angry too if I had to ride around all day in that thing.

Try using a car cover and a pager alarm, and go out and have a quiet talk maybe.

[Guest]

I got screwed in Seattle ~6 months ago by that system. Worst part was I actually left for 30 min and came back to find the spot still open, figuring it was 4:30 and they stop checking at 5 I would be fine...nope! Check your signs, most blocks which have a 90min-2 hour limit let you only park ONE time on that block<-- that's how I got screwed after I contested the ticket.

[InkaSteve]

I got screwed in Seattle ~6 months ago by that system. Worst part was I actually left for 30 min and came back to find the spot still open, figuring it was 4:30 and they stop checking at 5 I would be fine...nope! Check your signs, most blocks which have a 90min-2 hour limit let you only park ONE time on that block<-- that's how I got screwed after I contested the ticket.

You are exactly right, that is the way it is here. You get 90 min one time per block per day 9am - 6pm. That includes across the street. You have to move to a different block or a different street. Our building does not have its own parking, therefore I have to park on the street. There are some non-limited streets nearby, but you have to get there early. When you drive an Inka 1802 Touring, you are a little hard to miss, or be mistaken for another car. Plus, the MeterMaid has already given me a couple of tickets before (the old fashioned tiremark way), so she knows the car.

[Hammer03]

Ouch, didn't realize they were doing that in SB...

They just repaved our perfectly acceptable road in front of my house, and yet Hollister is covered in beach ball sized potholes... Measure D at it's finest... And they left a bunch of gravel on the road for a week that has now nicked up the fenders on my car. It was fine before.

And it only took them 9 days to get the block done!

[penth2o]

You are exactly right, that is the way it is here. You get 90 min one time per block per day 9am - 6pm. That includes across the street. You have to move to a different block or a different street. Our building does not have its own parking, therefore I have to park on the street. There are some non-limited streets nearby, but you have to get there early. When you drive an Inka 1802 Touring, you are a little hard to miss, or be mistaken for another car. Plus, the MeterMaid has already given me a couple of tickets before (the old fashioned tiremark way), so she knows the car.

Nt

WOW. I gotta get out more or maybe not. I never heard of such a thing.

one 90 min per block / day.

How the hell do you guys get anything done at work between flirting with the Sec. and lunch and B.S.ing & jacking your car all over the City. By the time you finally park for the last hour of work you spend it walking back to work.

This must generate a ton of money.