Forget wheel clamps – illegally parked cars are now getting hit by this dystopian ‘windshield barnacle’
Until recently, those who parked illegally were faced with fines via a post, a wheel clamp or (in the worst case) a towed vehicle.
This could all change now that a new measure has been introduced to deter pesky parkers: say hello to the Barnacle.
Designed by a US company aptly called Barnacle Parking, the large yellow device uses suction cups that, with a force of 1,000 pounds, attach a giant sheet of yellow plastic to a vehicle’s windshield, effectively making it impossible to get away to drive safely.
The Barnacle is marketed as a more convenient way to enforce parking restrictions as it can be applied in less than a minute, compared to the several minutes required for a wheel clamp or parking trunk.
Its inventor, Colin J. Heffron Sr., told the story CBS News that he was tired of the inconvenience of wheel clamps because he had to wait all day before his car could be released. In addition, wheel clamps or boots also have a reputation for damaging expensive alloy wheels.
To combat self-deletion, the Barnacle includes an audible alarm that will sound if someone tampers with it, while the connected nature of the device (it has GPS and a SIM card) means an alert will be sent to the parking attendant if it detects movement.
“If a driver attempts to pull an Ace Ventura and drive away with their head out the window, the Barnacle’s motion sensors will activate the alarm – and an alert will also be sent,” the statement said. official website of Barnacle.
As with most parking fines, in addition to a digital record of the license plate, the parking manager will also take a photo of the vehicle and link it to the device with the details of the violation. Should the mischievous motorist attempt to pull it off or drive away with the Barnacle attached, they could face additional fines and property destruction.
However, Barnacle Parking has made it easier for those unlucky enough to have a huge yellow rock sucked into the windshield to resolve the situation. The driver simply scans a QR code, pays the fine and the device is released remotely.
There are guidelines on what to do with your discarded barnacle, which means handing it in to a local collection point so it can be put back into use.
A sticky situation
The NYPD is currently leasing the Barnacle devices as part of a pilot program to target illegally parked trucks and vehicles, according to CBS News, but the device is already being used by other police departments and universities across the US.
Plans to introduce the device at the University of Oklahoma even angered students in 2020.
A poster on the social news site Reddit reported that he had defiantly protested the university’s use of the Barnacle by removing a mobile network SIM card from one of the devices and using it to access the Internet for free, according to the newspaper. BBC.
Barnacle Parking has since upgraded the design of its device, with the latest generation featuring a suction motor that continuously adjusts PSI based on ambient temperature and a tamper-resistant replaceable battery, so challenging drivers can’t wait for the power source to fail and throw away. that thing in the bushes.
As a result, Barnacle Parking says it now has “tens of thousands” of units in use, meaning the big yellow eyesore will soon be coming to a street near you.