The Tow Files: The Grinch who Towed Christmas.

[Kittish]

With the above thought in mind, I wonder how the new fad of self driving cars will fare when it comes to illegal parking? Will their computers be able to read the various signs they are violating? Will they be equipped with some sort of ATM device to pay their own drop or impound fees? Inquiring minds want to know.

You know it's bound to happen.

Easy enough to add an RFID chip to permit or pay only lots, similar to the EZPass toll tags that vehicles can get for most areas that have toll roads. Just stick it to the sign at the lot entrance. Telling the car it has a permit for a certain lot might get a bit trickier, as incorporating even a very short range RFID chip into a hang tag might get costly. For pay lots or meters, the car can pay electronically (provided the car owner has enough funds in the associated account).

[RealUnimportant]

Telling the car it has permission for a lot would be as simple as entering the password into the onboard computer. It'll probably also already have bluetooth installed, so could use that to communicate to any site-based computer, which could also use ANPR to automatically call in violators.

[Argabarga]

"Sorry, Sir, your car ratted you out"

In fact, skip the towing, if it detects it's been illegally parked, it should just drive itself to the impound and honk so we can let it in.

[Dreamstalker]

Arga, your threads always make my day/week

That would be AWESOME. Then how many dumbasses would go on rants involving "You hacked into my car and made it do this!!111"?

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

That story about Toboggan was pretty epic.

Also the bit with the Lawyer and that "Cha Ching!" deal sounds like something out of an SNL skit.

[Monterey Jack]

Also the bit with the Lawyer and that "Cha Ching!" deal sounds like something out of an SNL skit.

"Do you take...cash?"

[Pixelated]

Words cannot express how disappointed I was when Bong Guy's pants didn't go up in flames ...

[mjr]

I wanna know if Arga or any of his co-workers have ever gotten the "That sign wasn't there when I parked here!" line.

And the post about the cars recognizing that they're illegally parked and driving themselves to the impound lot made me laugh.

Just make sure that one day you don't accidentally impound this car:



it might just get itself out of impound.

[DiRF]

we don't have a max tow limit in our programming you can hit and cause us to bluescreen on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2ODKPrOrTI KILL SCREEN

[Mental_Mouse]

...but the owners will still show up at the tow yards demanding their cars back. Cars that were not even towed....

At which point you'll need to remind them about the "Where's My Car?" app that came with their subscription. And when they say "what, I never heard of any such thing", you'll need to show them the app on their phone. Or alternatively hear them explain how they deleted the app because "I always know where my car is!". Or discover that the car that dropped them off was actually their girlfriend's, and has now headed back to wait at her office... in another state. Or something even weirder, born from the new technology.

[Mr Hero]

That story about Toboggan was pretty epic.

Also the bit with the Lawyer and that "Cha Ching!" deal sounds like something out of an SNL skit.

I remember that one. I think it was about Tiger Woods.

[TheCheerfulTreeRat]

I suspect that once we have self driving cars, we'll fairly swiftly move to a model where you don't actually own a car - one just turns up when you need it, the size you want or larger.
I have an estate car, as I carry a load of crap around from time to time. But most of the time it's just me or me and the sprog. And I as I work either abroad or from home, sometimes I don't need a car for days or weeks.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Words cannot express how disappointed I was when Bong Guy's pants didn't go up in flames ...

Ditto

Of course, I'm now trying to wipe off Canadian Mist off my laptop screen!


And add one more vote for more Tobaggan stories . . . he sounds like a hoot.

[wordgirl]

"Sorry, Sir, your car ratted you out"

In fact, skip the towing, if it detects it's been illegally parked, it should just drive itself to the impound and honk so we can let it in.

OK, I made it through the original post without laughing out loud because I was prepared.

But this, sir, was a diabolical sneak attack. You should be ashamed.

[Kit-Ginevra]

'You want to park here,even though you do not have a valid permit issued for this lot.'
'I'm sorry Dave,I'm afraid I can't do that...'


(in the voice of the Hal-gabarga)