San Francisco warns Monkey app to stop auctioning off city parking


Recommended Posts

SAN FRANCISCO ?  San Francisco's city attorney issued a cease-and-desist demand Monday to a mobile app called Monkey Parking, which allows people to auction public parking spaces that they're using to other nearby drivers.

In a letter to Paolo Dobrowolny, the CEO of the Rome, Italy-based tech startup, city attorney Dennis Herrera cited a provision in San Francisco's police code that prohibits people and companies from buying, selling or leasing public on-street parking and mandates fees of up to $300 for drivers who violate the law.

Herrera's warning to Monkey Parking is the latest attempt by city government officials and state lawmakers nationwide trying to figure out how to regulate Web-based businesses that offer shared parking, transportation and housing services using mobile applications. Among the more popular ridesharing services are Uber and Lyft, and popular housing apps include Airbnb.

The Monkey Parking app allows drivers to get an often elusive parking spot and sell it for $5, $10, even $20, and then wait until the buyer arrives to take their place.

 

Herrera's letter to Monkey Parking also asked Apple Inc. to immediately remove Monkey Parking from its app store.

 

Herrera added that besides the violations, Monkey Parking's app encourages drivers to unsafely use their mobile devices and engage in online parking bidding wars while behind the wheel.

more

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Monkey Parking app allows drivers to get an often elusive parking spot and sell it for $5, $10, even $20, and then wait until the buyer arrives to take their place.

 

Damn scalpers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why doesn't SF put out it's own app, and charge $1 ... ?

 

Would end the Monkey business and make a little money for the city. ;)

 

First, because scalping parking spaces makes parking worse for everybody.

 

And second, because the money goes (partially) to the person holding the spot. Nobody would use the SF app over the Monkey app if they were only going to make $1. SF wouldn't have any product to sell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^ OMG --- the city would get the dollar.

 

And some air pollution would be saved, because there wouldn't be so much gas wasted looking for a spot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First, because scalping parking spaces makes parking worse for everybody.

 

And second, because the money goes (partially) to the person holding the spot. Nobody would use the SF app over the Monkey app if they were only going to make $1. SF wouldn't have any product to sell.

So, somebody uses this app and picks an available parking space in the city? It's available because one of the employees/sitters/spotters sits in the parking spot until paying customer arrives? Who pays the employee or sitter and how much? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^ OMG --- the city would get the dollar.

 

And some air pollution would be saved, because there wouldn't be so much gas wasted looking for a spot.

 

It's a free parking spot. You pay for someone to get out of the spot for you if you want with this app. You're suggesting the city should start charging for spots that were previously free? How's that going to help anything?

 

So, somebody uses this app and picks an available parking space in the city? It's available because one of the employees/sitters/spotters sits in the parking spot until paying customer arrives? Who pays the employee or sitter and how much? 

 

The sitter sits in the spot until somebody pays them to move through this app. It's Airbnb for parking spot squatters. All it does is encourage congestion. People are parking in prime parking spots to get paid, not because they need them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't see how this app is that practical since if I'm going to leave then I'm going to leave right then and there and not wait around for someone to show up to park. I guess you could try to time it better but even still what if that person shows up and says they won't pay and just waits for you to leave lol that's what I would do anyway because you can't just pull out and not allow someone to pull in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.