We’ve all seen it. A driver pulls into a clearly-marked disabled parking spot, without displaying a permit, and runs into a store for a ‘quick’ shop. This flouting of convention evokes a visceral outrage in even the most even-keeled observers. The ‘drill sergeant’ in this first video addresses our fantasy of exacting a pound of flesh from the perp, without fear of retribution from Johnny Law. Satisfying, but perhaps not the most attractive solution for a variety of reasons.
However, Parking Mobility, a community-based non-profit organization, offers up a more non-confrontational 21st century solution. They bring citizens, their cities, and mobile phone technology together to address disabled parking abuse in an effective way.
Disabled parking abuse is rampant. Studies show that more 1-in-4 vehicles in disabled parking do so illegally. No matter what priority cities give disabled parking enforcement, city enforcement agents (police, etc) cannot be everywhere at all times.
We developed Parking Mobility to improve accessibility and further empower the disabled community. We are engaging the disabled community and partnering with cities around the world to improve accessibility in every community.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8tB_ugQ4psQ
Misuse of existing disabled parking passes – lending them to others, for example – is a whole different story. Fines in Ontario for that offence range from $300 to $5,000.
There are three reasons why I’m impressed by Parking Mobility‘s solution. It took about a minute to download the simple free app to my iPhone. The app engages existing municipal by-law and collection systems instead of reinventing the wheel. And it distributes 20% of the collected fines, on offences I report, to the charity of my choice. It’s a beautifully planned and scalable approach to a real-life problem.
So much more civilized, I think, than mashing some offender’s face into the pavement, vigilante-style.