It’s possible that a tool for windshield obstruction will be just as effective at capturing parking scofflaws as the boot. The Barnacle is a flat, plastic device that attaches to and obscures visibility through car windshields. I’ve written about it before, but the Barnacle is starting to get more use. In Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, it has a 60-day trial period to prove its value, reports newyorkpost.com. The Barnacle is placed on windshields with suction cups that deliver 750 pounds of force, so no one but the Hulk and parking enforcement officers with a special release code can remove it.
The tech-savvy device is also sensitive to movement and will sound an alarm if it detects that a car is in use while it’s attached.
According to the article, the Barnacle’s makers say it’s cheaper, lighter, more efficient and safer for parking enforcers. It weighs 20 pounds and folds in half for storage. Officers using the device can attach it to a vehicle from the sidewalk. There is some question about how it will perform in winter conditions.
It is the procedure for removing and returning the Barnacle that puzzles me. Motorists who find their windshields infiltrated by Barnacles call a toll-free number for the code to remove the device and then receive an address and deadline for returning the Barnacle.
What’s to stop these drivers, who’ve already shown their disregard for parking laws, from tossing the Barnacle in the nearest trash can? Will there be Barnacle-recovery regulations and punishments to enforce on top of parking fines?
The Barnacle is made by Barnacle Parking Enforcement.
Read the article here.
