3 ms·

They're not selling the spots, they're selling prior knowledge of their departure. They have no right or means to block or make exclusive the spots, so what's t

• anigbrowl 12y ago
  The law prohibits selling or contracting around public parking spaces, ie contracts formed for the purpose of exploiting a public resource are automatically void. The app itself invites users to 'request a parking spot' and asks 'how much would you pay?' The knowledge of imminent departure is just an instrumentality for gaining occupancy of the parking spot, to claim otherwise is disingenuous. There's a mentality among some hackers that 'the means justify the ends,' ie if you can find some definitional wiggle room on what you're doing it automatically validates the outcome. That works OK on computers, but the law is not a big computer system and does not operate on the same sort of binary logic as computers do.
• smackfu 12y ago
  Here's the specific law they say that people are violating: "It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to enter into a lease, rental agreement or contract of any kind, written or oral, with or without compensation, for the use of any street or sidewalk."
• blatherard 12y ago
  The means of blocking is the car that they have sitting in the spot, which presumably they won't move until the payee shows up. Its also not paying for prior knowledge but payment for vacating, as the Monkey Parking website clearly states: "Get notified about drivers willing to pay you for leaving your parking spot"
• aikah 12y ago
  > so what's the problem? According to the article it's plain illegal.That's the problem.