MPA tracking license plates now?
So a few weeks ago, I went to a parking meter in the Grove and it would not take my money until I put my license plate number. So in the pouring rain I ran back to the car to read the plate, ran back to the meter and punched in the numbers.
This is something new the Miami Parking Authority (MPA) is doing. They request your plate number in order for you to pay for parking.
Many people don't like this, they feel it reeks of Big Brother. Even if you use the pay by phone feature, you're license is being used, so you are sort of being tracked.
Now this can be great for an alibi, but I've been hearing from people that they don't like it. I am not quite sure of the MPA's reasoning, but I see it as a selfish move, as people share the parking slips, you know, if there is time left, people hand the slip off to the next person. I have done this and I'm sure you have, too. I've shared my slip and I've received slips from people.
Now you cannot do it. Someone told me that they were going to punch a fake license number into the machine, fooling the machine, but if the plate number does not match the car, you'll be ticketed.
This is also killing a big business downtown for homeless people who I have seen collect the tickets that are not fully used and they sell them at a discount to people. So now their business is shot.
Just another day in Paradise.
This is something new the Miami Parking Authority (MPA) is doing. They request your plate number in order for you to pay for parking.
Many people don't like this, they feel it reeks of Big Brother. Even if you use the pay by phone feature, you're license is being used, so you are sort of being tracked.
Now this can be great for an alibi, but I've been hearing from people that they don't like it. I am not quite sure of the MPA's reasoning, but I see it as a selfish move, as people share the parking slips, you know, if there is time left, people hand the slip off to the next person. I have done this and I'm sure you have, too. I've shared my slip and I've received slips from people.
Now you cannot do it. Someone told me that they were going to punch a fake license number into the machine, fooling the machine, but if the plate number does not match the car, you'll be ticketed.
This is also killing a big business downtown for homeless people who I have seen collect the tickets that are not fully used and they sell them at a discount to people. So now their business is shot.
Just another day in Paradise.
posted by Tom Falco at 6:00 AM
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5 Comments:
I experienced this the other day at the meter next to Moe's en-route to G Street. Funny thing was that the pissed off guy in front of me was yelling out loud the likes of "Who the F would put a solar-powered master meter right underneath a large tree with a 20-30 foot radius?" Haha, I had to laugh...and then I had to run back to my car, get my plate number, run back to the meter, wait in line at the meter again, use a 100 key keypad to input silliness, wait for my receipt, run back to my car and place my receipt on my dash (because who knows what the rules for receipts are anymore), etc...at this point I was no longer laughing.
Why does the City of Miami require my personal information for the privilege of parking?
Out of curiosity I sat in my car near one of these meters by Peacock Park and watched as one by one people walk up to the meters, take about a minute to realize that the machine required their tag, curse or make a comment along the lines of "you gotta be kidding me" walk back to their car, write down, photograph or repeat the number over and over as they walked back and then pay. Several had to go back more then once. Some just refused and drove off.
Since the tickets are given by tag number I wonder how much $ the City is making from people being one digit off.
Meters pay for repairs in our city. It's only $1.50 an hour so do you really need someone to give you their old ticket or buy one at a discount? If homeless can't sell them then it's one less reason for them to bug me about giving them money. Who cares if Big Brother has your tag #. What will they do with it? Get over it guys.
I care.
1The City has no reason or right to ask for my ID just so I can park my car.
2 I've never seen the homeless in the Grove trying to sell the tickets
3 Good question. What ARE hey doing doing with this info?
4 Saying "Get over it" when the local government starts becoming invasive is flippant, insulting and just plain stupid.
And lastly, You say the meters pay for repairs in this City? Silly me, I thought that's what my taxes were for. Exactly how does knowing who I am and when and where I go have anything to do with paying for repairs in this city?
Two weeks and the machine at the end of Peacock by the sailing club is already broken.
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