Parking Lot Ticket Dispenser Hack

Discussion in Auto & Moto started by Bonnie • Sep 24, 2015.

  1. Bonnie

    BonnieNew Member

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    Here is a tip I have found works in some but not all parking ticket dispensers.

    I get quite frustrated with the machines that have a 2 hour minimum. Especially if you know you will only need 10 minutes of parking. I found this hack by accident one day when I had put a couple of coins in at the same time someone came up and offered me their spot with 1 hour left. I hit cancel on the machine and much to my surprise a ticket still printed out but for 20 minutes of parking time.

    Next time I was at the same place, I purposefully did the exact same thing and got a ticket for 20 min for $0.50 as opposed to paying the $2.25. I’ve done this now many times and at other locations as well. Do be advised it does not work with all types of dispensers but, give it a try if you only need a small amount of time.
     
  2. Theo

    TheoWell-Known Member

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    I would be careful with this, as machines will give out according to the amount of money in the machine. If it's a private car park and the minimum is 2 hours then they can still ticket you. What they expect is ticket to be bough up to the value of 2 hours.

    Some machines don't give change or the option to cancel, and in some places tickets state they cannot be transferred and to do so invalidates the ticket. With CCTV these days it's harder to do, as I know in the old days people did it and it was harder to prove then. Now, it's not worth the risk.
     
  3. Bonnie

    BonnieNew Member

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    You are right Theo, this is not a good bet for all types of parking situations or machines.

    The lot itself where I park did not have a 2 hour parking stipulation it is the machine that does not give you an option to select a shorter amount of time. By using the bypass hack I get a valid ticket stating the exact time frame that my parking was good for. I see no reason why it would not be accepted but I can understand if some may not feel comfortable doing this. It works for me :)

    You mentioned about transferring tickets. The local hospital has a parking system with numbered stalls. You park your car, remember you stall # and then go purchase parking time at the machine inside. It is the normal practice for people that do not need all the time they purchase to leave their ticket on the top of the machine so that the next person can use the same ticket without having to purchase a new one. There is even a little holder for the tickets. Not sure if this is more of a relaxed policy because its at a hospital or not but I like it and I know it has saved me many a time. It is also a 'feel good' thing when you can be the person to pay if forward and leave your ticket for the next person.
     
  4. Ke Gordon

    Ke GordonWell-Known Member

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    The lots I am familiar with that require paid parking always have a parking attendant on site. There is no way you could "hack" them. However, I am just curious is there any way you could get your parking validated? Maybe if it is a store or business you frequent regularly you could get your parking validated somehow. I would try to avoid a lot with a 2 mimimum at all costs. It sounds like a rip off!!
     
  5. ohiotom76

    ohiotom76Well-Known Member

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    Something else to keep an eye out for when parking in big cities - homeless people scamming you for parking. Years ago, there was a parking lot near a bar I frequented here in Cleveland that I would use regularly. Normally we would go to this bar on weekends, and they would have an attendant working the lot, giving you a ticket to park after you paid him. However on the weekdays, parking was basically "free". The lot had money boxes where you were supposed to put your money into a slot when the there was no live attendant working the lots, but nobody ever did.

    Anyhow, one time I parked there on a weekday night, and some guy approached our car saying it would be $5 to park. Without questioning it, I gave him the $5 and didn't even realize that he never placed a ticket in our window or gave us a ticket to do so. It wasn't until as I was walking away and he saw us light up cigarettes and asked us if he could have one, that we realized he was a bum that just pretended to be a parking attendant, lol. I told him he could have a smoke if he gave us our $5 back, and he instead left...
     
  6. Diane Lane

    Diane LaneWell-Known Member

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    @ohiotom76@ohiotom76 This type of scam happens a lot in downtown Houston, as well. In some of the lots, there are no attendants at any time, even Monday through Friday, during the daytime hours, and often, the people coming downtown for court are new to the area, or live in the suburbs, and are unaccustomed to how things work. There are always scammers looking to take advantage of such people, and take their money. Unfortunately, they will take the money, not put it in the money box, and then the person has not only lost their money, but is then susceptible to having their vehicle towed, as well.

    I think some of the lots are phasing out this type of money box system, because there has been a significant increase in thefts where people would break into the boxes and steal the money. It's too bad thieves and scammers have to ruin it for everyone, because those were some of the cheapest parking lots in the downtown area, so now people are forced to pay a lot more, since the lot owners have had to hire attendants and install cameras.