Stupid People in charge here

"boredalways" (boredalway666) 01/16/2020 at 11:00 • Filed to: Dumblopnik, parkinglopnik, Parking enforcement, Parking tickets, University of Oklahoma, OU Daily, BBC News

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This has to be one of the top ten dumbest thing ever by people in charge. Where were these idiots get their degrees from, Trump University?!

BBC News - ‘Barnacle’ car windscreen clamp sparks student fury

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CalzoneGolem > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:10

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Ok ... I’ll bite. Why is this so dumb?

Ash78, voting early and often > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:14

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This is stupid on so many levels, it’s almost like the joke is being played on the traffic cops to have to tote these things around.

Good luck slapping one on the windshield of a lifted Brodozer.

MonkeePuzzle > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:15

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the article mentioned a reddit thread about removing it, I found this

https://www.reddit.com/r/parkingtoday/comments/56w2q2/defeating_the_barnacle_parking_device/

the suggestion was to slide a thin piece of oil coated metal between the windshield and suction cups. so basically your oil dipstick 

haveacarortwoorthree2 > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:18

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I will just take my windshield with me when I park. What will they do then? Huh? HUH? 

Michael > CalzoneGolem 01/16/2020 at 11:20

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A boot requires an angle grinder.  A Barnacle requires turning your heat to “defrost”

MonkeePuzzle > Ash78, voting early and often 01/16/2020 at 11:20

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wonder if the smart car’s windshield is too small to fit it 

MonkeePuzzle > CalzoneGolem 01/16/2020 at 11:20

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because breaking the rules shouldnt have consequences!

... wait

vondon302 > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:22

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Why not just a giant sticker.

CalzoneGolem > MonkeePuzzle 01/16/2020 at 11:22

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That’s kinda the feel I was getting from it. Maybe the university will see how easy it is to defeat and switch to boots.

CalzoneGolem > Michael 01/16/2020 at 11:22

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Yeah. That’s not ideal.

For Sweden > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:23

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These idiots got a degree from the University of Oklahoma, which is abbreviated as OU,  obviously.

Tekamul > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:26

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Add this to your trunk for easy removal.

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:26

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I’m still a little confused, you’re upset that people are getting the barnacles, or you’re upset that the barnacles are a poor punishment, or that they’re too much of a punishment? I may not understand your outrage but I will figuratively die for your (non)right to express it on a digital platform owned by a private entity!

(for any and all who are concerned I am not mad at anyone here or otherwise) 

boredalways > CalzoneGolem 01/16/2020 at 11:26

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Students have already shared how to circumvent it, a waste of state funded resources on technology that is easily defeatable, it’s another obstacle for disadvantaged students — not every student has the means to get by comfortably, the university would be better off withholding a student advancing per semester or school year until their debt is paid.

ETA: if a student can't pay, have them work it off for the university (landscaping, garbage control, professor's assistant, etc.)

Gerry197 > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:29

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I like how they think the student who just paid the ticket will fold and put it into a receptacle. Lol, I can just imagine what people will do to this thing once they get it off.  

Gerry197 > vondon302 01/16/2020 at 11:30

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I’ve had that happen when I forgot my permit at my new apartment downtown car garage. It was a pain to get off.

But, they want the students to pay tickets.  A decal won’t do that.   

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:31

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Genuine question: if this is slapped on someone’s car, and they chose to just drive with it on, could the agency that affixed it not be held liable for the consequence so ?

How would that situation be different than a bar being held liable for the consequences of a patron’s choice to drive home drunk ?

I don’t agree with the liability in either situation, but from my understanding the second one does happen that way, at least where I am. I am in no way arguing that either of those two examples SHOULD be held liable, especially the first one.

**for arguments sake let’s assume the bar had no way of knowing the patron was over the limit or that they would drive home, even if it is their duty to not to over- serve  (that’s how it works where I’m from) 

PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:33

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Let’s go down a path here of best case for the parking enforcers.

1) parking is limited so authorities need to ensure tho se who want a space and are willing to pay to park, get a space

2) authorities use barnacle to penalize those who haven’t paid their parking fees and possible citations

3) owner leaves vehicle in that space until they can pay

4) parking is now more limited if vehicle owners aren’t savvy or willing to foreably remove the barnacle and cant pay the fee.

This is stupid and so are boots

Mercedes Streeter > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) 01/16/2020 at 11:34

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They’re a dumb solution. They can be easily defeated (and destroyed), making them a waste of state funded resources. If they really need to get $100 out of a student, they can withhold their advancement in school until they get it. That’s a method that costs nothing.

vondon302 > Gerry197 01/16/2020 at 11:36

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True and if you get it wet it's really easy to get off. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:38

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10/10 would drive a jeep wrangler without a windshield. 

Gerry197 > vondon302 01/16/2020 at 11:40

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Yup, exactly right. I spent the night trying the normal peel methods, even using WD40.

But in the morning, I covered it with a wet towel, waiting 30 minutes and it came off like butter!  

Textured Soy Protein > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:43

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This reminds me of when I finished out my degree at the University of Wisconsin as a part-time commuter student. There was a designated commuter lot, but it required a permit and was in a totally different part of campus than my classes.

There are plenty of other public parking lots in downtown Madison near campus and I’d rather pay the buck or two to park for the duration of one class than pay for a commuter lot permit and waste way more time.

O ne semester, the closest public lot to my class was a small on -campus one, that often filled up. If it was full and class was starting soon, rather than backtrack to a bigger public lot several blocks away, I’d try to park in one of a couple permitted employee lots near my class. I didn’t do this every week, and I didn’t get ticketed every time I did do it, but... I probably got enough tickets to be considered a habitual offender.

Lucky for me UW parking tickets are relatively cheap and they had no such barnacle devices.

Tripper > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:43

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I’m on the fence here while I understand rules, I come from the land where parking is an actual “racket” see the Philadelphia Parking Authority. I’m also against things that cost college students more money, I’ll site another actual racket here (college loans).

Final decision, fuck these things, keep that tech for the fancy roof racks, and ninja building climbing holds.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:44

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If this was used as a primary enforcement technique I would have a problem with it. However, the school said they would only use these on vehicles with three outstanding tickets. The alternative was towing the car to an off-campus impound. Release fees were something like $150 (per OU’s Reddit page). The fine with this was $35 plus a refundable $50 “deposit”, refunded when the device was returned to a bin.

However, schools rarely build new lots or parking decks, so this can be read as profiteering.

Sovande > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:44

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What about the whole preparing people for life?  Stop coddling people and start making them responsible for their actions.  If you can’t pay, don’t break the rules.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Gerry197 01/16/2020 at 11:46

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I’m pretty sure that counts as vandalism. I heard that in my state (Ohio), parking wardens are no longer allowed to “chaulk” wheels (mark the sidewall) to see how long a car is parked in a time-restricted loading zone because it counted as property damage... somehow.

Mercedes Streeter > MonkeePuzzle 01/16/2020 at 11:46

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It’ll fit, but it’ll cover the whole thing. xD

McMike > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:46

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Students shared tips on how to remove the barnacle device on social media

I couldn’t read that in the linked article, but I read yesterday that:

T hey found a way to get it off by turning on their defrosters, then release the vacuum with a credit card.  It was suggested that it be left on the side of the road for the parking authority to come and collect. 

One student even figured out a way to tether off the sim card and got free unlimited data for months off one of these.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 11:48

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Yeah... my university just wouldn’t let you register for classes for the next semester, or graduate, until your parking fines were paid. Seems a lot cheaper and easier to me.

Also, I generally don’t like the idea of the state leasing tech from private entities for enforcement. The video said the fine, after the $50 core charge refunded upon return of the device, is $135 - $100 fine + $35 fee to use the barnacle. Why not just withhold advancement/graduation and charge $135. That’s 35% more money in the university’s pocket and doesn’t require the capital expenditure to obtain, store, deploy, and collect these devices and train operators in their use.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Gerry197 01/16/2020 at 11:51

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One of the reddit threads on this has someone claim they took it home and took it apart and piggy backed on the company who makes these data service which was unlimited. They claimed it was weeks before it got de-activated.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > haveacarortwoorthree2 01/16/2020 at 11:54

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Stick it on one of your other windows.

SO THERE!!

user314 > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 12:02

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it’s another obstacle for disadvantaged students — not every student has the means to get by comfortably, the university would be better off withholding a student advancing per semester or school year until their debt is paid.

*eyeroll*

If a driver had failed to pay more than three outstanding fines, a parking warden would attach the barnacle to the windscreen.

It’s a parking fine. Pay it off, learn not to park in the wrong spot or overstay the allotted time, and move on.

user314 > CalzoneGolem 01/16/2020 at 12:11

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Does seem to be an imperfectly executed solution. The university wants to forgo towing repeat offenders, which makes sense, but it sounds like they didn’t do due diligence in researching this device if it’s so easily removed. Booting sounds like the better option.  

CalzoneGolem > user314 01/16/2020 at 12:16

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Seems like the students and OP are pissed that there is any enforcement.

WRXforScience > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 12:23

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So, I went to OU a little over a decade ago. The parking passes did not guarantee a parking spot and in fact they sold far more passes than available parking spaces (all non-faculty or specially reserved spaces were first come first served). The passes cost $150/semester at the time. They used to tow vehicles after more than 3 or 4 unpaid tickets (happened to me once, but still cost me less than the parking pass would have).

The only free parking on campus was at the basketball stadium, there were shuttles than ran from the commuter lot to main campus (about a 2 mi trip), but depending on where on campus you were heading you’re destination could be over a mile from the shuttle drop-off. It could take nearly an hour to go from the commuter lot to class even if you made it on the first shuttle (you might have to wait for more than one shuttle if there were lots of people waiting for the shuttle).

It was faster for me to bike to class from my off-campus apartment than to take the shuttle.  

smobgirl > Sovande 01/16/2020 at 12:30

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Every parking ticket I got in college was from some asshole on a power trip. “No parking in this lot after 1 pm on game days” = ticket on windshield at 9:30 am when I arrived to move my car. Tickets for not displaying a permit when the permit was hanging correctly from the rear view mirror. I fully understand students being pissed off  about measures that go beyond sticking a piece of paper under your wiper blade.

fintail > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 12:32

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I wonder who at the school’s parking department has a brother who owns the  “B arnacle” company. Not that I would expect any shenanigans in such a freedom-loving capitalistic location.

i86hotdogs > Tekamul 01/16/2020 at 12:36

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And for accessing slices of pizza!

Chuckles > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 12:37

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They already announced that due to backlash they won’t be using the barnacles.

https://twitter.com/OUDaily/status/1217522266302447616?s=19

i86hotdogs > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 12:38

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Students everywhere with several parking violations on file.

Chariotoflove > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 12:38

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I think this is a dumb mechanism for the reasons everyone is stating. However the student outrage moves me not at all. 

Mercedes Streeter > Sovande 01/16/2020 at 12:40

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I’m pretty sure their six figure student loans will be more than enough to prepare them for that. ¯\_()_/¯

Also, not even the City of Chicago (notorious for heavy enforcement) will boot/tow/barnacle you over the parking fees OU does.

TheRealBicycleBuck > PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 01/16/2020 at 13:23

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There is nothing in the article or in OU’s policies about what to do when a student doesn’t promptly pay to have the barnacle removed, they do have extensive policies on impounding vehicles which are illegally parked or abandoned. Chances are that if the student doesn’t take care of it, OU will tow it away.

Removing it is a pretty dumb idea. They already have all the records they need to give a citation, so they can just add this to the bill. 

facw > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 13:48

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I don’t know if this is a good enforcement mechanism, but I am certainly in favor of people who park illegally being punished such that they don’t continue to park illegally.

AlfaCorse > Mercedes Streeter 01/16/2020 at 13:50

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But then that would be worse? Rich kids could just easily afford to pay the fines and not worry about parking too long or in the wrong spot and take up more parking resources, while poorer students would be held back from graduating if they couldn’t pay the fine by the time they finished classes? It seems like a boot/barnacle type device would be more fair because it would inconvenience everybody equally, prompting everyone to be more respectful of the limited parking resources? Of course there is no perfect solution because no matter what a parking fine is going to impact a poorer student more than a rich one.

AlfaCorse > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 13:55

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Wouldn’t that be worse for poor students? Holding them back from graduating until they can pay fines, whereas wealthy students could afford to not respect the parking rules and just pay the fine at the end of the semester without any other repercussions ? It seems like a device would actually be more fair because it would inconvenience everybody, hopefully leading to more respectful parking practices.

Mercedes Streeter > AlfaCorse 01/16/2020 at 14:25

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At least for me when I went to tech school, losing my transportation would have had far worse consequences than having my degree on hold. With the former, I wouldn’t be able to go to work, which means I wouldn’t be able to pay the fine, which means they’ll tow my car, incurring even more fines. And eventually, no work = homeless.

With the latter, I’d at least be able to go to work or do a side hustle to get the fine.

I was held back from graduating h igh s chool because my mom couldn’t afford to pay the $115 registration fee for my senior year. Well, she could , but she spent it on other stuff. I still walked across the stage with my fellow classmates, only the diploma I received was a fake. I got the real one about a month later when my mom finally decided to cough up the fee.

OU Parking Services tried the barnacle thing, it sounds like it did not much but piss everyone off. And long term, I’m willing to bet many students would have simply destroyed the barnacles then gone about their day.

AlfaCorse > Mercedes Streeter 01/16/2020 at 14:34

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Ah yeah that does makes sense, I was thinking at least with the devices it wouldn’t let anyone (rich kids) get away without some kind of meaningful consequence.

I guess it would be pretty hard to enforce some kind of consequence that would impact everyone relatively equally.  How do they get everyone to respect the parking rules?

Kiltedpadre > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 01/16/2020 at 14:41

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A federal court in Cincinnati was the one that ruled on it so it’s supposed to be stopped nationwide. I’m sure there are plenty of town that still do it figuring that most people won’t know it’s not allowed anymore.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 15:36

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how are they circumventing it?

Tapas > boredalways 01/16/2020 at 17:19

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Well just you wait! Someone will hack these and take vehicle windshields hostage for a bitcoin  ransom.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Kiltedpadre 01/16/2020 at 18:39

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Seems kind of hard to protest it. What would I do? Call police? Sue?