🚀 go-pugleaf

On 28/11/2011 13:51, Ian Jackson wrote:
> In message <9jhbtaFjsoU2@mid.individual.net>, JNugent
> <jenningsltd@fastmail.fm> writes
>> On 26/11/2011 21:47, Ian Jackson wrote:
>>> In message <faqdnRkurYT9JE3TnZ2dnUVZ7oKdnZ2d@brightview.co.uk>, Nick
>>> Finnigan
>>> <nix@genie.co.uk> writes
>>>> On 25/11/2011 13:25, Zimmy wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Then I got to thinking; the Parking Warden must look up the car on his
>>>>> portable computer as there is no ticket to stick on the windscreen
>>>>> when you
>>>>> pay by mobile. Therefore, there's no real reason why said portable
>>>>> computer
>>>>> can't also alert said Parking Warden to mobile-paid parking times
>>>>> about to
>>>>> expire, to ensure timely ticketing before the felon returns.
>>>>
>>>> Anything pre-pay could contact a central location and then alert the PW
>>>> when a ticket is about to expire - might have a partial reg in some
>>>> cases.
>>>> Or the PW could note times in his PC as he proceeds around the
>>>> parking areas.
>>>>
>>>>> Maybe paying by mobile is not quite so handy after all or am I just
>>>>> cynic?
>>>>
>>>> ... or not sufficiently paranoid.
>>>
>>> Of course, the system could work as follows:
>>> 1. 'Phone in' at start of parking period.
>>> 2. 'Phone in' again at end of parking period.
>>> 3. Get charged for time spent parking.
>>> Or is this just TOOOOO easy?
>>
>> Many people would forget the second call and cost themselves money.
>> Not bad from the rip-off merch...er... council's POV.
>
> But this is essentially the same as the 'lost ticket' situation in a
> pay-on-foot carpark, where typically there is charge for a full day's
> stay (usually around �25).
>
> There could be various simple procedures for damage limitation. For
> example, what if your clock-in included an estimated duration (so it
> would be exactly the same as at present). However, you wouldn't be
> penalised if you stayed after it expired. Instead, at the expiry time,
> you would be sent an automatic reminder that you hadn't clocked out, and
> you would be prompted to do so (if you wanted to). Repeated reminders
> could be sent every hour. Maybe still not 100% perfect, but not far from
> it.

Sounds like a sensible system to me. But then the council wouldn't be 
able to charge the �30 fine for the 5 mins you went over?

Z