This Australian driving habit ‘freaks people out’ – but 50 percent do it without a worry
Australian podcasters Toni and Ryan have led to a discussion about paying at the parking meter versus ‘tapping’ at the gate with your card when you leave the parking garage.
Most shopping centers and other paid parking locations Down Under offer motorists the option to pay their contribution at the payment terminal or withdraw it with a bank card, similar to public transport.
Ryan revealed that while 50 per cent of people ‘panick’ at the thought of having to pay at the gate, ‘normal people’ like him claim it’s a ‘waste of time’.
“We were leaving a mall the other day and Toni had a complete meltdown,” Ryan said of his friend.
“You have to go to the payment machine to pay for parking,” Toni said. “You put the card in and it just tells you how much it costs.”
Many sided with Toni, citing incidents where paying at the gate proved to be an inconvenience.
“I don’t care if people pay on the go, it’s the people who can’t pay because they have to transfer money, they can’t find their wallet, or their card doesn’t work and they have to find another one who turns me down,” said someone.
“My opinion is that the ‘tap at the gate’ option is for the fools who forgot to pay at the payment machine, or thought they were leaving under three hours of free time and got caught,” one man said.
“I constantly support people who try to tap at the exit when their card doesn’t work,” wrote another.
“Everyone always has to pay before he or she gets in the car, so all you have to do is drive away,” says one woman.
‘It’s not normal to tap on the gate. It’s lazy and inconsiderate,” one man added.
Popular Australian podcasters Toni and Ryan have sparked a debate about paying at the parking kiosk versus tapping at the gate as you leave the car park
While others did not see the usefulness of parking kiosks.
“Tap when you leave. It is the only way to take advantage of the fact that the barrier is sometimes out of order and remains open!’ one advised.
“I don’t want to have to queue to pay and queue again to leave the car park, so I just pay as I drive away,” says one woman.
‘I have my payment ready at the gate and it takes seconds. It’s about efficiency,” another added.