Parking Enforcement has met its match. A new website, www.parkingday.com, sends mobile text messages reminding subscribers to move their cars on street cleaning days, before they get a ticket. Many companies help fight tickets, but until now, none has taken direct action to help people avoid them in the first place.
“We're already getting a fantastic response,” says Robyn Brook-Nabat, founder of Parking Day. “It’s such a simple idea—using text messaging, we send a quick reminder to the customer's cell phone. So many people remember too late. They’ve already gotten a ticket. Parking Day reminds them before that happens.”
By signing up for Parking Day, subscribers increase their chances of keeping money in their own pockets. Subscribers pay $4.95 for a year of reminders—a bargain when a single ticket in New York City is $55. The same citation in Los Angeles costs around $40.
Parking tickets are a great source of aggravation to city dwellers—and that situation is not likely to change. Increased privatization of parking enforcement has lead to tougher enforcement by officers.
“I looked outside and saw my car being towed,” said Ariel Finelt, of Boston, who paid $120 in fines, including the cost of recovering her car. “You think after something like that happens, you’ll never let it happen again. But you’re human, you forget. I signed up for these reminders because I can’t afford to forget.”
“People feel they have no way to protect themselves against an overzealous parking enforcement officer. Whether city employees or privately contracted workers, they are notoriously unfriendly, and unlikely to give you a break,” says Brook-Nabat.
In March of this year, Los Angeles joined the growing list of cities offering online parking payment. “It’s getting easier for the city to take your money, but we’re still using the same old ‘sticky notes on the door’ technology,” says Brook-Nabat. “That works for some, but most of us ignore these types of reminder notes after a while, and just plain forget that they’re there. A little mistake like that can cost a lot of money.”
According to Brook-Nabat, consumers who use the Parking Day service find that it requires little maintenance after the initial five-minute setup.
About Parking Day
Located in Los Angeles, California, Parking Day supports subscribers nationwide. The company is committed to helping citizens avoid costly tickets for street cleaning and alternate side of the street parking violations. Parking Day is powered by Phonecaster, one of the most reliable nationwide text messaging alert systems.
For more information, contact: Robyn Brook-Nabat, CEO, Parking Day, at 323-839-6777 or robyn@parkingday.com.
