Windshield Parking Perspective

Just saw an interesting article about a text messaging based service where drivers can register their license plate so that if someone sees them illegally parked, the person who notices this can notify the driver that they are parked improperly.

The article and comments quickly discussed how this system would be abued

"OMG - Your car is full of monkeys!".

"No kids will ever spam/text because they love/hate your car"

"And I'm sure there wouldn't be any car jackings, abductions or rapes where victims were lured out of safety to check their car because someone said their lights were on..."

But the writer who was the most off the mark was this one...

Great idea that will never work. Why, you ask? The people who typically struggle with their ability to park are not going to buy into a system where they can be called out by the masses for their parking ineptitude

Wrong. What this service would accomplish is to enable parking ineptitude. Well, not ineptitude, but parking laziness.

If you are struggling to find parking in a crowded neighborhood late in the evening for dinner in a world where this service was the status quo, the pro move would be to just park in front of the driveway of some random driveway, and go to dinner. Chances are the owner of the house isn't going anywhere, and you'll be fine. If not, they'll text you to come move your car to another driveway. No need to worry about being towed!